Days and Ways
by Haelwyn
Summary: 100 years after Jane and the Dragon: Kippernium is down to its two knight-squires - Lynn, a healer from the east, and Landen, son of a Captain of the North. Life is simple, until war-torn history threatens to repeat itself... in ways no one expected.
1. Faces People Know

01

Faces People Know.

---

_Let's weave them together. Your fate and mine._

The words echoed in her mind. She was dreaming. The same dream she'd been having for a while now. The same voice she'd been hearing for a while now. The same puzzle she'd been trying to solve for a while now.

And she woke up, the same expression on her face as she'd had for a while now. Eyes deep in thought, a mouth firmly set in a line, she faced each sunrise as she sat up in bed and looked out her window.

It was the same face she used at the archery range, drawing her bow and letting the arrow fly. She never took those eyes off the target, just as she never let her mind wander from her thoughts.

Today was the same. She could tell, sitting in her bedroom. _Might as well start it up_, she thought, jumping out of the bedclothes and getting ready for the day.

---

"Good morning, Lynn," sang out a cheerful voice.

"Morning, Ambrosia," Lynn replied, her voice the same low-pitched near-monotone as usual.

"Oh, Lynn, you're the only who calls me by full first name," she said, giggling. "I keep telling you, 'Amber' is just fine."

"Right," Lynn said, laughing a little. "Sorry about that, Ambrosia," she said, sitting down at the wooden table in the middle of the yard that served as their dining table.

"Really, Lynn," Amber said, with a jestful huff. "You're so formal about things. We're all friends now. Now eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Amber -- or the Queen of the Kitchen, as she liked to call herself sometimes -- set down a bowl of porridge in front of Lynn.

"And you're always so early. If only everyone else were as punctual as you," Amber said, sitting down across from her. "Then they would all enjoy a hot meal all the time."

"Perhaps," Lynn said, continuing to eat her porridge.

"And you have such wonderful table manners. Unlike that Colton," she continued, giving an involuntary shudder at the thought. "He slurps all the time, and chews with his mouth open. It's disgusting watching him eat. It would be much more pleasant if everyone were as refined as you are."

"Possibly," Lynn said, putting down her spoon.

"And that Kipp!" she said, banging her fist on the table. "That fool never knows when to close his mouth. And he keeps stealing from my kitchen, too! If he were as disciplined as you, I'd only have to do half the cooking I do now."

" Maybe," Lynn said, after drinking water from her cup.

Amber stopped for a while, her chin resting in her hands, she watched Lynn wipe her mouth with her handkerchief.

"You know, you would have made a wonderful lady-in-waiting to Princess Gledae," she said, thoughtfully, her head tilted to one side.

"Probab--," she said, pausing, her handkerchief midway from her mouth to her lap. She suddenly knitted her brow, opened her mouth, raised one hand, and then finally shook her head. "No," she said.

"No? Not even 'Possibly so'?" Amber asked, head tilted further to the side.

"No. It's a 'Definitely no'," Lynn said, folding her handkerchief and putting it in her pocket.

"But you are a wonderfully refined lady," Amber insisted. "Why did you not remain a lady-in-waiting?"

"A lady-in-waiting, possibly so," she said, folding her arms on the table. Plucking a fallen strand of hair from her tunic's long sleeve, she continued, "But not in this castle."

"Won't you tell me why?"

"I --," Lynn began, but was cut short by the high-pitched voice she recognized all too well.

"Good morning, dear subjects," the voice cried out. "I am happy to see my castle folk are doing well this fine morning. How is your breakfast, dear kitchen maid?"

"I have eaten well, milady," Amber said, standing up and curtsying gracefully to the princess. "I presently await here the others to partake of their breakfast."

"It is good to hear that," she said, head erect and eyes off to one side. "And you, dear squire?"

"Just finished, Princess Gledae. Alright, I suppo--," she said, standing up and bowing.

"Good, good," the princess cut her off mid-sentence and mid-bow. "Now tell me, has Squire Landen come down to breakfast yet?"

Amber answered quickly. "He has not yet, milady. Is there something you needed of him?"

"Well, actually, I had something to give to him," she said, calling to her handmaiden.

Lynn gritted her teeth as she saw the lady-in-waiting quickly shuffle forward, carrying a small basket. Opening the lid, she bowed slightly as she offered it to the princess.

The princess withdrew a small plate, on top of it a small cake. "I'd meant to let him have this cake. It is a little pastry I brought back with me from yesterday's visit to my uncle, the Duke in my mother's hometown. Will he be here soon?"

Lynn took a deep breath, straightened up, and putting her hands together at waist level, smiled as best she could at the princess. "I am sure he'll be here soon. He is never late for mealtime, you know. Why, most of the time he comes straight here after he cleans out the stables. Famished after a whole dawn of shoveling out horse-dung, you see."

"Horse-dung --? Ah, well," Princess Gledae said, clearing her throat. "I see he has a lot of duties to perform. Well, I mustn't trouble him then, I'll be on my way. But could you see to it that he receives this?" she said, handing the plate to Lynn.

"Certainly, milady," Lynn said, "I will make sure it gets to him safe and sound."

"Thank you, dear squire," the princess said, smiling her beaming smile. "May I know what your name is, again?"

"Lynn," she answered. "My name is Lynn."

"Lynn," Princess Gledae repeated. "Thank you, squire Lynn. I bid you farewell this morning, then."

The princess waved as Amber curtsied, and Lynn dipped her head ever the slightest. The lady-in-waiting gave a small curtsy as she hurried after her princess.

Lynn waited until they were out of sight, and set the plate down on the table, forcefully. Discarding her smile, she walked a few steps away, kicked a barrel hoop, and then walked back to the table and sat down, folding her arms on the table and resting her head in them.

"That, my friend," she said, banging her fist on the table next to the cake. "Is why I refuse to be a lady-in-waiting in this castle."

"That pastry is why you chose to be a squire?" came a deep, clear voice from the edge of the courtyard.

Lynn held her breath as she heard the voice, recognizing it at once. She heard the footsteps of the metallic boots as they made their way over to the breakfast table. She saw the shadow looming over her, and closed her eyes momentarily, sighing, knowing who it was.

"Landen, here you are," Amber said, cheerfully, quickly standing up. "Wait while I get your breakfast," she said, hurrying into the kitchen.

"And here you are, oh lady-in-waiting-would-be," Landen said to Lynn, who hadn't moved her position.

"You just missed her," Lynn said, in a low voice.

"Her? Missed who? Amber?" the squire asked, in a quizzical voice.

"Missed _her_, you fool," Lynn said, her voice lower still. "The _princess_. She was looking for you. Again."

"Oh, Princess Gledae. Oh well, maybe I'll see her next time," Landen said, shrugging his shoulders and sitting down next to Lynn.

Lynn moved to make space for him, her head still resting in her arms, facing away from Landen. She shoved the plate towards him.

"Here. She left this for you."

"Ah," Landen said, eyeing the cake. "The 'reason why you are not a lady-in-waiting', I presume? What an interesting thing to influence your decision for life."

"Just take it," Lynn said, sitting upright. "It's from the princess. Be grateful. Nobody else gets such special attention from royalty. You should thank her. And be extra nice to her."

"Don't tell me what to do," he said, in a comical voice. "I make my own decisions in life. I don't let cakes decide for me."

Lynn gave a quick chuckle as she stood up. "I'll be going ahead then. I'll get started on those horse stables."

"No need," Landen said abruptly, pulling the plate towards him.

"No need?" Lynn said, stopping in her tracks.

"To clean out the horse stables. Already did that," he said, intently observing the cake.

"Really? This morning?"

"Just a while ago. Rather quick, too, since all the knight's horses are away," he said, poking it with his finger. "Came straight here after I cleaned out the stables. Famished after a whole dawn of shoveling horse-dung, you see?"

"What? You heard that --?" Lynn said, recognizing her own words to the princess. "Why, you," she said, creeping up on his back.

"Here's your porridge, Landen," Amber shouted cheerfully, emerging from the kitchen.

Lynn turned right around and started walking off.

"Where are you headed, Lynn?" she heard Amber shout after her.

"To find something to do," she shouted back, waving her hand.

"Really," Amber said, setting down Landen's porridge, and putting her hand on her hip. "I'll never know how that girl thinks."

"With any luck, nobody will have to," Landen said, sipping a spoonful of porridge.


	2. Places People Go

02

Places People Go.

---

Lynn paused awhile, leaning against the wall. She put her hand over her heart and willed it to stop beating so fast. Landen had taken her by surprise, and she did not want to show it to him. She peeked around the wall into the courtyard. Landen was still eating by himself, Amber probably busy in the kitchen.

She turned around and took one step forward when she was greeted by a finger to her forehead, pushing her backwards.

"Ow!" she said, her back slamming against the wall, sliding down to land on her behind. "What's the big idea?"

"Oh man, our castle is in danger if all squires were as weak as you," the jester laughed.

"Ha-ha," Lynn said, standing up and dusting off her trousers. "Very mature, Kipp. Our kingdom would truly be in danger if all the king's subjects were as childish as you."

"Childish, maybe," Kipp said, "But at least I'm not a pushover."

"Oh yeah, ass-kisser," Lynn countered viciously. "You serve the princess with your flattery and sweet speeches. Stories of a fair princess and a gallant knight, to make her heart flutter over our poor Landen."

"Why?" he said, in a sharp tone, towering over her. "Are you jealous you aren't the fair maiden, o squire dearest?"

Lynn scoffed and walked off angrily.

"I'll be sure to include the envious tomboy next time, if it pleases you, dear squire Lynn," he shouted after her, as he made his way to the dining table.

"Ugh," she said to herself. "That fool."

With angry steps, she entered the castle library.

---

_Let's weave them together…_

Lynn's forehead made contact with the surface of the heavy wooden table. Bolting upright, she looked around her, realizing she was still in the high-ceilinged room, lined with bookshelves, filled with books, scrolls, and parchments.

In front of her lay open a parchment on herbs and medicinal plants. Creeping up to it was a steadily growing puddle of ink. Lynn cursed under her breath and quickly set upright the ink bottle that she had just knocked over. Quickly grabbing a handkerchief -- more of a tattered strip of cloth, really, -- she mopped up the remaining ink. Thankfully, there wasn't that much left, she thought to herself as she carefully folded the cloth and tucked it in the belt of her tunic, for future use. She picked up her quill which had made its way halfway across the table and reassessed her work.

She had been copying from the parchment into her medium-sized notebook -- a collection of knowledge that she'd gathered through the years she'd spent training to be a healer under her father. Even if she'd left that home and profession over 3 years ago, she still continued to gather information, more due to habit than necessity.

Nodding to herself, she decided that this would be enough for this morning. Today was their rest day, when their mentors did not make them slave away under the hot sun, sparring with swords or staves, or polishing shields until their arms turned to lead. And so she had freedom to choose what she wanted to do.

Putting her quill and nigh-empty ink bottle back in her scribe's case, -- a simple wooden box with her name engraved in plain block letters, -- she returned the parchments, tucked her notebook into her pouch, and left the castle library.

Outside the corridor window, the sky was brilliantly lit by the noonday sun. The light cascaded in through the tall open windows, illuminating swirls of dust in its path. Lynn walked through the corridors, thoughtfully, seeing the sky in episodes as she walked through patches of light.

Headed towards the knights' quarters, she decided to ask permission to go to town.

---

"So…" Lynn tried to begin a conversation. Colton the blacksmith wasn't exactly a chatty person.

And yet here they were, walking through the marketplace together.

It had been awkward earlier that afternoon. She had knocked on Sir Galadore's door, only to find that it was open, and that her mentor already had an audience. She panicked slightly, trying to close it without making a sound, when the knight called on her.

"Enter, squire," Sir Galadore's voice said calmly.

"Yes, Sir," she said, entering and bowing. She was surprised to see Colton standing there, without his blacksmith's apron and gloves.

"Allow me to hear out Colton's request first, before I proceed to hear yours," the knight said, indicating the blacksmith.

"Of course, Sir," Lynn said, bowing once more and stepping backwards.

"And thus, Sir, I request permission to go to the marketplace today," Colton said, in his deep voice, which people rarely ever heard.

"Very well, I grant thee permission," Sir Galadore said, extending his hand and nodding his head. "You are dismissed. Now for you, squire Lynn," he said, gesturing towards her.

"Ah, well, I, uh, Sir, also wish to go to town today," she said, slightly flustered. "For, um, personal purposes, you, um, see."

"Ah, I see," the knight said, stroking his chin. "Permission granted. Why don't you two go together, Colton, Lynn?"

Lynn blinked. "Sir?"

"Go to the marketplace together," Sir Galadore said, nodding his head at each word. "I see no harm in that."

"I--," Lynn started to speak, then looked at Colton, unsure of what his thoughts were.

Nobody ever knew what Colton was thinking. He hardly ever said a word to anyone, even at the supper table. He was usually by himself, in his workshop, and all anyone ever heard was the clanking of hammer on metal, hour after hour.

And so she wasn't sure whether he would appreciate the idea of having a companion at the marketplace when he was probably planning to go alone.

Colton came back into the center of the room and bowed to Sir Galadore. "Sir, I have no problem with that arrangement. I will accompany squire Lynn to the marketplace."

Lynn blinked again, at Colton this time. "I, uhm, have no problem either, Sir."

"Good, good," the middle-aged knight said, clapping his hands. "Best make use of your time wisely now, and protect each other. You may leave."

They both bowed and left the knight's quarters.

And now here they were, in the town's main street, where merchants and shopowners had set up stalls on either side, calling to passing folk to please take a look at their wares.

"So…" she began again. "What were you planning to do here in town?"

"Nothing, really," he said.

Lynn paused and waited for him to continue. When it became apparent that that was all he had to say, she cleared her throat.

"O-kay then, let's just do that," she said, looking around uneasily.

And walk they did. In complete silence. Not even looking at each other.

Lynn took this time to observe the boy, older than her by hardly a year, stealing glances in her peripheral vision every now and then.

He was shorter than her, a stocky frame, well-built. He had dark skin and eyes, and she wondered where he had come from before he lived in Kippernia Castle. They all knew he came from somewhere to the west of Kippernium, but he'd never told them anything about his hometown. He didn't tell them anything much about anything. His bare hands, a strange sight to her, for she'd always known him in his blacksmith's gloves, were strong, and callused. He walked erect, back straight, even after hours of bending over in the forge.

She looked away for a while as his eyes seemed to move in her direction. Looking to her left, she saw a merchant selling musical instruments. This perked her interest, and she looked back at Colton, deciding whether or not to tell him that she wanted to go there.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled on his sleeve, trying to get his attention. He turned to look at her, and she gulped. She pointed in the direction of the stall, and opened her mouth to try to say that she wanted to go there.

Before she could utter a word, he nodded, and started walking in that direction.

"Welcome, welcome!" the merchant suddenly said, standing up. "Come take a look at these fine instruments. Imported from all over the land, these are," he said, pointing to his array of items arranged on a wooden table, and hanging from poles.

Lynn let her eyes wander across the merchandise. They were mostly wooden instruments, many, stringed. She recognized a bamboo flute, from eastern lands, countries far past the town she had come from. And then there were lutes, a lot of them, different sizes, with their intricate soundholes carved into them. Then there was this single instrument that completely held her attention. It was a strangely shaped thing of wood, hollow she could see, and with a beautifully-carved head, in the shape of a scroll.

She picked it up and plucked the strings. Extremely taut. Different from the lutes. Those she was familiar with, her father having been quite the luthier back at home.

"Ah yes, a fine eye you have," the merchant began. "That is indeed a special instrument, one-of-a-kind. None other like it in the world. Here, you need this to play it, if you know how," he said, handing her a stick with long strands of what appeared to be horsehair attached to it, taut from end to end.

She held the instrument in her left hand, and the hair-stick in her right. She was so engrossed with their strange shape that she just stared at them for the longest time.

Then she heard strumming from somewhere to her right. Colton had picked up a lute and started playing it. She nearly dropped the strange instrument when she heard him play.

His fingers danced over the strings, and he played out a sweet melody, exotic-sounding and smooth. She took deep breaths together with the rhythm, and she found her arms moving by themselves. Lifting up the instrument she held to her chin, she settled it into the curve of her neck, and lifted her right hand to draw the bow across the strings.

And she copied the sound of the melody, letting her fingers find the music for her. It came easy, music, like a spilled cup of water, the melody just flew out of the instrument, and she felt a joy she had not felt since the first memory of her father playing the lute.

Letting the music stop was the hardest part. Slowing down her right arm until the bow drew no more music, she put down the instrument and looked back at Colton, eyes still closed, hands still clasping the lute.

After a while, they both pulled out their money and bought the instruments.


	3. Games People Play

03

Games People Play

---

_Let's play our fates in harmony…_

Lynn opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times in the darkness. She'd fallen asleep sitting on the floor, leaning against the foot of her bed. Looking around her circular room, it took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the dim light of dawn. Standing up and stretching her sore legs and arms, she heard the clatter of wood onto her floor. Looking down, she realized that the instrument slipped from her lap as she stood.

This new instrument, this _violin_, as the merchant called it, it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, heard, or played. When she played it, memories of old melodies started playing in her mind. Memories of a home filled with people, music, and laughter. Memories of her father, playing the lute at home, and playing the pipe organ at the town church. Melodies of songs she'd long since heard. Everything came back to her whenever she touched the violin.

She picked it up and cradled it in her arms. She stood like that, engrossed in her new instrument, interrupted by the sun slowly coming in through her shuttered windows. Opening one shutter, she watched the sun rise over the distant mountain. And with the morning came a new melody, which she heard in her mind, whistled with her lips, and unhurriedly played out on her violin.

---

She hummed softly during longbow practice. She and Landen, the only squires left in the castle, trained in the knight's courtyard. With a quiver of arrows and a longbow each, they pulled out one arrow, nocked it, drew the bow, aimed at the target, and released the arrow. They paused, breaking their stances only to walk down to the target to retrieve their arrows.

Undoubtedly, she was the better archer, if only through patience. Landen tended to become bored with the repetition. But archery was all about repetition and practice and focus and repetition and patience and countless more repetitions. Lynn definitely deserved more credit.

And also, Lynn was a bitter archer. Landen was given the newer bow, the one with the recurve at both ends, -- a novelty feature for the longbow, -- purchased by Sir Galadore himself, on one of his travels to distant towns. He was given that bow, only by virtue of him being male, and she being female. She scowled as he yawned and lazily un-strung his bow after the morning's practice, leaving it at the foot of his target pad, and heading straight for the dining table.

"You shouldn't leave it there," she said, angrily, un-stringing her own longbow.

"And why shouldn't I?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Just don't," she said, putting all her equipment in her quiver. "It's a special bow. You should take better care of it."

"I do take care of it," he said, spreading his arms wide, and taking a step backwards, towards the table. "But now I'm hungry, so I'm taking care of that, too."

Lynn sighed as he walked off. Hanging her quiver in the weapons open shed, she picked up the un-strung recurve bow and wrapped it in its canvas sheet, before putting it in its special leather case, and hanging it, together with Landen's quiver, next to hers.

Sitting down at the dining table diagonally across from Landen, she watched him slump down and rest his head on the tabletop, facing away from her. She rested her cheek in her hand, facing away from him. They stayed like that for several minutes, an awkward silence between them, punctuated by the rhythmic hammering coming from the blacksmith's workshop.

"Lunch is served!" Amber's voice came from the kitchen doorway, and Amber following right after, carrying a large serving tray.

Lynn stood up and helped her spread out the plates on the table. She nudged Landen to sit up as she placed a plate in front of him. He blinked at it dumbly and rubbed his eyes, before sprawling out on the whole bench and falling asleep again.

"Oh dear, he must be exhausted, falling asleep at the table like that," Amber said as she set down a huge platter of chicken. "And it's his favorite dish, too. Roast chicken with carrots and beans and --"

"Oh let him sleep if he wants to," Lynn said, tapping his head with her hand. "I'm off to call the others."

"Thank you, Lynn," Amber said, tilting her head to the side as she said so. "And I'll be here trying to wake our poor Landen."

"Say the princess is here to see him," Lynn said, sarcastically. "That'll wake him up straightaway."

"I heard that," Landen suddenly spoke up, still lying down, unmoving, eyes still closed.

"See, he woke up," she said, in a cheerful voice. "Make sure she doesn't catch you asleep, ya'hear?" she said, before briskly walking off to search out the other members of the castle.

As she passed by the blacksmith's workshop, she perked her ears up, but heard nothing. _Nothing?_ she thought to herself, as she turned her head to look. _No hammering, no burning coals, no clanging of metals?_ she said, as she looked around. _And most importantly, no blacksmith. Where has he gone?_

"Colton!" she shouted, exiting the courtyard. She saw Kipp fiddling with a wooden contraption by the bushes.

"Kipp, it's time for lunch," she said as she walked by him.

"Almost done with this puzzle the king gave me," he said, turning the strange toy around and around.

"Well finish it _after_ lunch. Amber'll scold us again for letting her food go cold," she said, apparently uninterested. "By the way, do you know where Colton is? He's not at his forge."

"That is most strange," Kipp said, suddenly standing up.

"Isn't it though? I mean, where else could he be if not in the forge, or courtyard, or--,"

"No, no, I mean," he said, waving his hand. "This piece here, it sticks out at an odd angle. Don't you think that's really really strange?" he said, pointing to his wooden puzzle.

Lynn scoffed and pushed the jester's hand with the puzzle out of her face. "Some help you are."

"I am but a fool," Kipp said, bowing suddenly. "But I can see clearly Colton right there behind you."

"Very funny, but I'll go look for him myse--," she said, slowly turning around, when she saw, who else, but Colton there, walking towards his workshop, lute in hand. And she heard Amber call to him as soon as he entered the courtyard.

She stomped her foot and, taking a deep breath, started towards the courtyard, imagining, accurately enough, the expression on Kipp's face as he stuck out his tongue at her back.

---

Lynn lay awake in bed that night, waiting for sleep to overtake her. She'd waited over an hour, just lying in bed, sometimes staring at her ceiling, sometimes staring out her window at the moon. Something felt odd tonight -- she could sense it, something out of the ordinary.

Deciding that sleep was not going to come anytime soon, she got out of bed. Changing from her nightgown into a plain tunic and trousers, she left her bedroom, a singular wide turret at the edge of the wall at one end of the courtyard. On a whim, she went back to get her violin, thinking it best to spend her time trying to learn the instrument.

Standing on the battlements, she saw nothing was amiss. The castle banners flew overhead as Sir Galadore patrolled below.

Lifting the instrument to her chin, she readied her bow-arm, but could not think of anything to play. Like, she didn't know which note to begin with.

Then, as though in a dream, floating on the wind and dancing in the moonlight, a note came to her. First, a singular note, followed by another, in thirds, and another still, in fifths. With that first chord, her violin came to life.

The first note came, followed by another. A short melody began, a moondance. And then there was the song. She felt her playing go faster and faster as the light danced around the castle turrets. And with the twinkling of the stars, the melody softened.

The last few notes came slow, and shimmering, as she made the notes vibrate as they came out on the strings. Letting the last one glisten as much as she could let it, she sighed, and put down her violin. She looked up at the moon, at the moonlight that gave flight to her song.

And then, she saw up on the rooftop of the highest tower, just as the moon came out from behind a cloud, a boy.

The boy with the lute at his side.

She saw him, and she saw him disappear behind the turrets. And she wondered. What was Colton doing up there?

And she wondered. What am I doing down here?


	4. Phrases People Say

04

Phrases People Say

---

_Oh please save me from this nightmare,_ Lynn thought to herself, as she sighed, cleared her throat, and put on beautifully fake smile for the umpteenth time.

Shaking her head to forget her weariness from a sleepless night, she tried to remember what exactly she had been doing the night before. She shook her head again as she struggled to remember, but failed to, for the umpteenth time. Clearing her throat again, she clapped her hands as the princess broke her archery stance and handed her the longbow.

"That was very good, Princess Gledae," she said, holding down her voice. "But next time, let's try to not injure the innocent bystanding barrels, shall we?"

"Magnificent! I think I am getting the 'hang' of it, as you people call it," the princess said, running her hand over her hair, then proceeding to remove the quiver from around her head and shoulder. "But I am also becoming rather tired, squire. I therefore dismiss you from tutoring me in this archery lesson, and--"

They heard a loud clanking of metal at the courtyard entrance. Lynn glanced just in time to see a retreating knight's boot, and a familiar gauntleted hand carrying a practice sword. At the entrance was the training dummy, spinning and wobbling in place. The bucket that hung from one arm swung back and forth, distractingly.

"Aah, your highness," Lynn said, before the princess could turn around to see a retreating Landen. "Do you not think you could go for one more round? It seems a shame to stop now--,"

"I thank you, squire," she said, with a smile that seemed to radiate pity. "It has been an enchanting morning spent with you, but I must return to my own duties as princess. You do understand, do you not, squire?"

Lynn felt her blood boil at her words, but she bit her tongue as she glanced over the princess's shoulder at the court entrance. The squire was safely out of sight.

"Understood, your highness," she said, bowing low.

"And so I must leave you, squire," the princess continued, handing Lynn the quiver.

Lynn took it, and bowed graciously. "Very well, your highness. I am glad I could be of service to you--," she said, but as she looked up, the princess had already turned her back on her, calling for her ladies-in-waiting.

Waiting until she'd left the courtyard, Lynn stomped back to the weapons shed, dumped the quiver and the training longbow in one corner, picked up her practice sword, and headed straight for the dummy. Pulling it by its sword-arm, she brought it to the middle of the courtyard, where she proceeded to beat it up.

---

_Whack! Wham! Slash! Pow!_

Three hours later, the sounds continued to ring out through the courtyard. Lynn was furiously hacking away at the training dummy, as it spun, wobbled, and turned on its rounded base.

Swinging the sword in her right arm over and around her head, she slashed at the dummy from right to left again and again, causing it to start spinning clockwise. Then, as its arms started stretching outward from the force of its spin, and using her own right arm's momentum, Lynn swung her sword as the dummy-arm swung by, using an upward flick of the wrist to disarm the poor dummy of its sword.

The dummy continued spinning, its other arm coming around, a bucket dangling from its end. Quickly changing the direction of her arm's movement, she blocked the incoming metal bucket with the flat of her sword. A resonating clang echoed throughout the clearing, as well as throughout Lynn's entire body. Shaking off the vibrations that ran through her body, she moved her sword upwards and outwards from the dummy's body, swiftly knocking the bucket into the air.

She used her sword arm's momentum to turn clockwise, pivoting on her left heel. Then, stomping her right foot down, on the edge of the dummy's rounded base, she grabbed its disarmed arm, causing it to tilt drastically towards her as she brought the edge of her sword up to its neck, creating a deep gash in the sack used to cover its head.

She stayed like that for a moment, until she realized that she had broken out in a sweat, and was suddenly panting heavily. Letting go of the hapless and nigh-decapitated training dummy and letting it fall back, then forward, then back then forward, she fell backwards on the ground, landing on her rump. A bucket came down, clanging as it crashed on the dummy's head. Lynn chuckled to herself at the incident and praised herself for an impromptu routine well-done.

She lay down in the middle of the courtyard, to catch her breath.

"Very well done, squire Lynn," she heard a voice say. "We shan't be expecting anything out of this troublemaker, I see, no sir-ee," the jester said, poking the dummy's head.

"Shut up, Kipp," she said, between gasps. "Unless you want trouble out of me."

"Leave the rhymes and funny lines to me, _squire_," Kipp said, bending over her, hands on his hips. "I can read you like a book. You and Landen both."

"What," she said, knitting her brow at the jester. "What are you talking about?"

"Hmph," Kipp scoffed. "The princess must be disappointed. Truly disappointed. By you and Landen both."

"Bah," she said, waving a hand in front of her face. "Keep your foolishness to yourself, _jester_," she said, sitting up. "Be careful what you say about the princess."

"And you," the jester said, ominously, turning his back on her and walking off. "Be careful what you don't say."

She gave a small puff of breath as she lay back down on the ground, to sleep until the afternoon.

---

"Good afternoon, squires, I trust you are ready for today's training," Sir Galadore said, chin up, and gaze going right through them, as though he were commanding thousands of troops on a battlefield, and not two knight apprentices in a humble castle courtyard.

"Yes, Sir," Lynn & Landen said in unison.

"I hope you used your time yesterday and this morning wisely," he said, a strange glint in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. "Today we test your ability to read your opponent."

Lynn heard a cough somewhere in the corner of the courtyard.

"To read, Sir?" Landen asked, stepping forward. "Read what exactly?"

"What about you start with the pretty red dots on the princess's face whenever you're around?" Kipp shouted, juggling balls in a corner of the courtyard.

"The opponent's techniques, his next move," the knight started, beginning his signature pacing, as though up and down columns of soldiers. "Perhaps even his thoughts, and his feelings--,"

"Oh yeah, that's easy to read on the princess," Kipp quipped again, turning around while juggling the three balls high into the air. "'Dear Squire,'" he imitated in a high voice. "Doesn't that just tell you something?"

"And then you could anticipate his actions. Prepare yourself to guard, to dodge, or to counterattack their advances."

"Oh, Landen knows how to dodge advances, yes sir-ee," Kipp continued, bouncing the hackey-sacks on his elbows. "You should see him when the princess comes arou-- Yeow!"

He was cut short by a sharp pain in his behind. He jumped forward, hands on his rump. His jester's equipment fell around him, one on his head. He whipped around just in time to see Lynn dust off her hands and quickly put them at her back again, and the agitated dust at her feet, where a pebble the size of the new red mark on his rump used to rest.

"We begin with a game of rock, sword, & parchment," the knight continued.

"And the winner gets to choose what weapon to use for today's training, Sir?" Lynn quickly put in, ignoring the evil glare coming from an irate jester.

"No," Sir Galadore said, and he stopped pacing. "That is today's training, squire. And here are your rules. Listen well.

"You are to play rock, sword, parchment against each other, squires. You do not start until I give the signal 'Go'. You may talk to each other before the signal, but once it is given, you must choose rock, sword, or parchment, and make that symbol with your right hand at once. If you are late, you immediately lose. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir," they said in unison.

"Good. Let's start the training then, shall we?" he said, clapping his hands twice before walking away from them.

"Yes, Sir…?" they said, looking at him walk back and forth. They looked at each other. Landen raised an eyebrow and Lynn shrugged her shoulders. Landen started looking around, as though someone was about to sneak up on them from behind. Lynn returned to watching Sir Galadore pace the courtyard.

Then, Sir Galadore slowly raised his right hand to around ear level, and paused mid-step, his right leg trailing behind him. Lynn tensed and crouched, ready for a surprise attack. Landen continued looking around.

"Go!" Sir Galadore mouthed, quietly putting down his right foot and bringing his right hand down to point at the two squires.

Lynn gave a small jump and chose a symbol with her right fist. Rock. She glanced at Landen who looked at her quizzically. His hands were at his sides.

"One point for squire Lynn," Sir Galadore said, "By virtue of squire Landen's inaction."

"But Sir, you did not say 'Go' yet," Landen complained.

"Oh I _gave_ the signal 'Go,'" the knight said, raising a finger. "I _gave_ it. You weren't watching carefully."

Landen opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, giving off a little puff of breath. Suddenly Lynn realized something. The way this game was supposed to be played. She gave a little gasp, opening her mouth, then she closed it again.

"Alright, let's have the next round," Galadore said, walking towards them and standing perfectly still. This time, he spread his open palms to his sides, saying the word, "Go."

The signal came so quickly, yet so subtly and quietly, that they were both stunned for a while. Landen proceeded to choose his symbol, and Lynn knew what he would choose, after seeing Sir Galadore give this round's version of the signal. And so she chose. Rock, again.

Because Landen had chosen sword.

"Another point for squire Lynn." He walked over to stand in front of a still-stunned Landen. He balled his right hand into a fist and gave Landen a very light punch to the chest. "Go," he said, firmly.

Lynn chose sword and looked at Sir Galadore with earnest eyes. Landen stood still, even more stunned than earlier on.

"Very good, squire Lynn," Sir Galadore said. "I trust you understand today's lesson now, if I've read the reasons for your actions correctly."

Lynn put her hands at her sides and bowed to the knight. "I trust so too, Sir."

"Very well then," he said, giving a small wink and a slight smile. "Squires, you are dismissed."

"Thank you sir."

---

(Oh look, here come the author's notes! Please R&R people. If you give a good review, I'll tell you a little secret as to where I got my character ideas from, and I'll explain the genealogy of these characters in relation to the original Jane & the Dragon folks. Thanks!)


	5. Lessons People Learn

05

Lessons People Learn

---

_You and me, one and the same fate…_

Lynn woke up in the library again. In front of her lay a small stack of books, all about music. Lifting her head from the crook of her arm, which had gone to sleep and now felt horribly prickly, she stretched her arms upwards, yawned, and then picked up the books and tapping them against the table, straightened them out, for the umpteenth time.

"Strings of the Far East", "The Bard's Guide to Music", "Lute Theory", she read the titles off the spines. And yet nothing had been able to tell her about the violin that she had. The most she could gather was that it was a new instrument, developed mostly in the north, or so she read in "Wooden Wonders: Innovative Instruments for the Beginning Bard." Repeating consonants aside, it was quite informative, and showed other strange instruments, such as the \gee-tar\, a six-stringed instrument not unlike Colton's lute.

Running her finger down the elaborately printed page, she sighed, overwhelmed. She was a squire, not a bard, nor a jester. Why was she studying this? Who knew? She was a squire, not a scholar. She didn't need to think much about these things, anyway. Flipping through the pages of her notebook, she saw that it by now contained a variety of topics -- from medicines to caring for wounds, from Kippernian history to musical instruments. She grunted, satisfied with what she had copied for today: five pages of data, history, and how-to-play the lute and the violin, together with rough ink drawings. She shut it and put it in her pouch.

She looked out the library's window high up on the wall, and was startled to see that the sun was high in the sky. Muttering a curse under her breath, she slammed all of the books shut, hurriedly picking them up to give to the bookkeeper.

Passing by the front desk, she dumped them unceremoniously on the table. "Hey, sorry, I have to leave now. I'm done with these," she said, calling to the bookkeep.

The bookkeep came out from behind the small cabinet of records the castle library kept. She nodded, tapping the stack of books. "Alright Lynn, I'll take care of these. Good luck with--,"

"Thanks, Amelia," the squire said, heading out the door. "Gotta go, bye."

"--whatever you're doing," Amelia said, looking at the titles of the books. Chuckling softly to herself. "I guess no one will really know what exactly you're doing, anyway."

---

Lynn ran into the knight's courtyard, panting. She rushed to stand beside Landen, whom Sir Galadore was already talking to.

"Ah, Lynn," Sir Galadore said, as he saw her come in. "Glad to see that you could join us for today."

"I'm sorry, Sir, I was in the library this morning and I lost track of ti--," she began, gasping for breath.

"Luckily, today I was thinking of giving one of you the afternoon off," he said, cutting her off. "The princess is off to her uncle's castle this afternoon. It seems her cousin is not feeling well, and our dear princess wants to make sure she gets better. She will be staying there until tomorrow afternoon.

"I will be accompanying her, and I was thinking of asking the company of one of you squires," he continued. "Now who should I bring along with me? Any suggestions?"

Lynn started, suddenly realizing something. She glanced at Landen, who appeared to be deep in thought. Lynn gulped, and then raised her hand.

"I will go, Sir Galadore," she said, in a firm voice. "Please let Landen have today and tomorrow off."

"Oh, wait, I suddenly remembered," Sir Galadore said, one finger in the air. "The princess had stated her preference to me this morning. She thought it best to let Lynn rest for today and tomorrow, since she was kind enough to give the princess an archery lesson yesterday. Which means that Landen will be goi--,"

Lynn glanced at Landen again, who had opened his mouth ever so slightly, and bent forward ever so slightly. Lynn groaned softly and gulped again.

"Please, Sir, I really do wish to go. I believe I may even be of service to Lady Yvonne," she said, stepping forward. "I have been trained as healer in my hometown. If you would please allow me to accompany you, I promise I will do all I can for the princess and her cousin."

Sir Galadore was taken aback. He closed his mouth, thought for a while, then nodded his head. "I find no objections to that. However, I will first inform the princess of your suggestion. She is the one to make the final decision, after all."

"Thank you, Sir," Lynn bowed. "You are most kind."

As Sir Galadore walked towards the princess's quarters, Lynn groaned and dropped to her knees. _Why oh why do I do this to myself?_ she shouted in her mind, silently hunched over, hands on her knees.

She felt Landen's hand on her shoulder. "Wow, I never knew you enjoyed being with the princess so much."

"You are an idiot," she said, not looking up. "I hate being with the princess. She treats me like dirt."

"So you like being treated like dirt? Why did you choose to go anyway?"

_Why the hell do you think?_ she shouted in her mind, looking up suddenly to stare Landen in the eyes. Mouth agape, she found that no words came forth. Standing up and dusting off her knees, she cleared her throat.

"Who knows?" she said, walking off. "Let's just hope, for your sake, that the princess allows me to go."

---

_Oh Lord, for my sake, please allow me to go back to the castle_, Lynn thought, agonizingly, as she sat across from the princess in her carriage.

"And then he said, 'I completely agree, Your Highness'. Isn't that just so gallant of him?" the princess said, dreamily looking out the window.

"Of course it is. Truly an admirable fellow," Lynn said, for the umpteenth time, looking wearily out the window.

"I wasn't talking to you, squire," the princess suddenly said in a cold voice. "I am obviously talking to my dearest hand-maiden, isn't that right, maid?"

"Of course, milad--," the poor girl said timidly. Lynn looked at her with a compassionate look in her eyes. She nodded back, rolling her eyes at the princess.

"And then I said--," the princess continued, rambling on and on.

It had been a mere 10 minutes with the princess and she felt like a jar of finely-packed soil already. Suddenly, she looked back at the previous hour, and realized that sitting at the front of the carriage, squashed between the coachman and Sir Galadore with his stories of when he was a young knight weren't so bad. She imagined Landen sitting up there in front, listening to the stories that the old knight had told them countless times before.

The princess had allowed both squires to travel with her, and as a result, the front seat was constantly crowded, since only one knight was allowed in the carriage with the princess. Either seat was torture at the hands of the princess, or Sir Galadore. _Why oh why do I do this to myself_, Lynn wondered.

"Landen is going to be such a fine knight, isn't he?" she said, in her commanding tone. "A brave young soul, ready to face the world for his princess."

"Yes, milady," the poor lady-in-waiting said.

"What a pity, though," she said, sighing. "Battle sounds like such a dangerous thing. He might get hurt."

_Well, duh, that's what it means to fight,_ Lynn said in her head, rolling her eyes.

"Do you not think he would be better off as a noble? I mean, he is well-mannered, a fine gentleman, and with his knightly ways, he would make a fine Duke, or Count, or maybe even Prince, don't you think?"

_Say what?_ Lynn said, her eyes suddenly locking onto the princess.

"I mean, think about his potential. He could become a diplomat for the kingdom. Side by side, we could reach out to other kingdoms to find allies and partners for future development. Does that not sound like a grand idea?"

_Say what?_

"Oh the possibilities! I'd mentioned it to him earlier, when it was his turn to ride in the carriage. He seemed ever so delighted. He said 'Why of course, if your highness wishes it'. Isn't that just so wonderful of him?"

Lynn groaned. _Please save me from this nightmare_, she thought, as the carriage rolled on and on down the road.

Suddenly, they stopped. Lynn heard someone step down from the front of the carriage, then saw Sir Galadore at the door, opening it.

"Princess, we will stop once more to rest and water the horses. In the meantime, squire Lynn and I will trade places, just as she and squire Landen traded places earlier," he said, bowing outside of the carriage door.

"Ah, yes, well, it will be Landen's turn again after this hour?" the princess said, eyes gleaming.

"Yes, your highness, as is custom."

"Very well then, I dismiss squire Lynn from my carriage and admit Sir Galadore in."

"Thank you, your highness," Lynn said, quickly jumping out of the carriage -- a jump for joy.

---

Lynn gave a deep sigh, seated in the front seat, between the coachman and Landen. They had been silent the whole way, because Landen was sleeping, hunched over, his elbows resting on his thighs and head drooping way lower than his shoulders.

She stifled a yawn as the carriage bounced along. Suddenly, the uneven road caused them to dip towards the right. She reached out her hand around Landen's shoulders and kept him from falling out, like he almost did the last time the carriage lurched. As soon as the road smoothed out again, she let go.

She sighed again, looking at the side of Landen's face. He was always so sleepy, for some reason, taking naps nearly anywhere in the castle, be it the dining table, the rooftop, or behind the cannons. She immediately deduced that the princess had not let him sleep inside the carriage, but kept him up with her useless chatter.

Deciding against letting him lean against her shoulder, she arched her back to get rid of the stiffness and yawned. They were almost at their destination -- her trip with Landen had been short and silent, and thankfully the time spent with the princess was shorter still, thanks to Sir Galadore's knightly interventions.

She chuckled as she heard him rambling on and on inside the carriage. And she was thankful for quiet times and sleeping minds, on this peaceful day of rest.

---

(I know, I know, mismatched titles. And a lot of nothing about the princess. Sorry, guys, some characters'll be gone for the next few chapters. New characters to be introduced next time, at the Duke's castle. Stay tuned!)


	6. Bridges People Burn

06

Bridges People Burn

---

_Let's draw a line connecting us two…_

Lynn stood, patiently, in a corner of the room. She looked around the small bedroom, equipped with only the bed, a large dresser with a mirror, a couple of upright chairs, and a small table. _Simple, for a noble_, she thought. Hard to believe this was the princess's first cousin's room.

"Keep your eyes on your duty, squire," she heard a voice from beside her. Sir Galadore was pacing, as usual, back and forth between the people by the bed and the squires by the door.

She straightened up and stared straight ahead. As soon as the knight turned his back on the two squires on either side of the entrance, she snuck a glance at Landen. Upright he was, awake, she was not entirely sure. His eyelids were threatening to shut on him, and he leaned heavily on his sword, which slid on the smooth stone floor, making little scratch marks and noises.

Shaking her head and clucking softly, she disapproved of the princess's decision to force Landen to come along. He should've been back at the castle, resting, not being made to wait on some princess's trivial desires.

"Squire, over here, if you don't mind," she heard a lady-in-waiting call. She perked up, and looked at Landen, who was unresponsive. She turned her head in the direction of the call, and pointed to Landen, mouthing the word "Him?"

The Duke's daughter's hand-maiden shook her head and pointed at her. Lynn pointed at herself and mouthed the word "Me?" The lady-in-waiting impatiently nodded and walked over to her huffily, grabbing her by the elbow. "Milady requests your presence."

_Oh great,_ Lynn thought, sheathing her sword while being pulled by the elbow. _This does not sound good_.

At the bedside were the princess and her lady-in-waiting, Sir Galadore pacing round, two more ladies-in-waiting, counting the one who'd called Lynn, and Lynn herself. And in the bed around which they were all gathered was the princess's cousin, apparently bedridden with illness.

She was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She coughed weakly, and then fell back onto her sheets. The princess held her hand tightly, saying things like, "Rest, my dear cousin, the healer will be here," and "Don't fret, Yvonne dearest, we'll get you better."

Just looking at her, Lynn thought of things she could do. All these women were merely chattering among themselves, waiting for the healer from the next town to arrive. She waited for the princess to call on her. She stood and waited. And waited some more. She was being ignored. And after she had been summoned. _Ugh_.

She cleared her throat loudly, staring into the back of the princess's head. "You called, your highness, milady?" she said, through gritted teeth.

"Oh, yes, that's right, I did," she said, turning to face her from her perch on the bed. "I heard from Sir Galadore in the carriage that you were actually a healer?"

"I am a squire to Frederick, King of Kippernium first and foremost," she said, giving the knight's salute, a hand across her chest. "But I spent 3 years a healer's apprentice--,"

"Good, good," the princess said, waving her hand. "Now tell me, healer's apprentice, what is your opinion on my cousin's illness?"

"I cannot give yet my opinion until I conduct a full inquiry with Lady Yvonne and her ladies-in-waiting, your highness," Lynn replied.

"Come on, squire," the princess said. "Do you not have any herbs or medicines that could help her feel a bit better? Must you tire her with long conversation? Look at her, she moans so."

"I am no alchemist, your highness," Lynn said, in a firm voice. "But if you want me to do something for her, then please, allow me to give orders to these ladies-in-waiting, if only for matters regarding your cousin's health."

The princess was stunned. The room was silent for the longest time -- no chattering ladies, no tittering footsteps, no snoring and scraping of metal against the stone floor. She stood up and opened her mouth to object, but Sir Galadore stepped forward and intervened.

"Squire Lynn, do you realize what you are asking of the princess? You are asking to bypass her authority on this matter," he said, in a hushed voice.

"It is for the sake of the sick girl, Sir," Lynn rebutted. "Please, you have to trust me."

Sir Galadore looked her in the eyes for what seemed the longest time. He nodded and said, "I see your will is strong. Very well, I will vouch for you."

"Thank you, Sir," Lynn bowed.

Stepping past the knight, she went straight to the princess. Standing half a head taller, she said, coldly, "Now with your kind permission, your _highness_, give me authority."

The princess gave a deep, angry breath. "I, Gledae, _Princess_ of Kippernium, _grant_ you authority over my ladies-in-waiting, to instruct them and give them orders in the matters of the health of my _cousin_, Lady Yvonne of the Dukedom of Barnow. Use it wisely, _squire_, I hope you know what you're doing," she said, through gritted teeth.

"Oh I will, my princess," Lynn said, stepping around her. "I tell you, I know exactly what I'm doing."

---

Lynn leaned against the wall and let herself slide to the floor. Her sword sheath clanked noisily beside her as she landed on her rump. She sighed and chuckled in satisfaction as she reviewed all the interventions she performed.

The long-awaited healer was in the room, and requested that everyone leave while he checked the status of the patient. He'd nodded at the extra cushions Lynn requested, and the now-empty bowl of broth that she'd nearly force-fed down the sick Lady's throat. He'd wondered at Lynn's request for coconuts and bananas. But all in all, he approved of Lynn's work, unusual as it was.

"Good work and quick thinking. A fine head you've got there for a squire, my boy," he said, reaching out and patting Lynn on the head.

"Er, girl, sir," she said, hurriedly and clumsily standing up, bowing slightly. "Squire Lynn, though I had been a healer's apprentice."

"A girl squire?" he said, surprised. "With training as a healer's apprentice? Unusual. Unusual indeed." He rubbed his chin, mumbling in a low voice, gazing off into the distance.

"Where do you come from, oh Squire Lynn healer's apprentice?" he asked after a while.

"I serve Kippernium as a squire, sir," she answered. "Although my hometown is the healer's town of Dellour, far to the east."

"Dellour, I see," he said, stroking his chin again. He stared into Lynn's eyes, and scanned her face.

Lynn felt uneasy, under the observation of this man. His gaze was more unsettling than even Sir Galadore's Stare of Scrutiny.

"I see, I see," he repeated. "Dellour, was it? Funny thing. I come from there, as well. Your methods are very unique. Of all the healers I know in Dellour, I believe only one would have chosen to do things the way you did. He goes by the name of Verdant. Perhaps you know of him and his methods?"

Lynn opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. She fidgeted uneasily, trying to find a way out of the conversation. His gaze was most distressing.

"Admirable healer, that man. A fine man, and a healer among healers. Very resourceful and quick-witted. Traits I see in you, young squire. Admirable indeed," he said, his voice elated.

"Thank you, Sir," she said, bowing again.

"Very well then, I shall be off to find myself an inn. Be sure to call me if there is any change in the fair Lady's condition," he said, picking up his black bag and walking down the corridor, escorted by one of the castle guards.

"Of course, Sir," she said, as she watched him walk off.

Suddenly, watching his shrinking form, she felt a wave of sadness come over her. She found that her eyes were watery and she blinked back her tears as she watched his back, slowly disappearing into the depths of the corridors.

"Admirable, young squire, admirable," she heard a voice from behind her. Footsteps came to stop by her side. "Or should I say 'healer's apprentice'?"

"Shut up, dear squire and go back to your princess," she said, quickly wiping away any moisture around her eyes.

"From Dellour, I see," Landen said, mocking the old healer, stroking his chin. "Why'd you go all the way to apply for squirehood in Kippernia if you had three years of training as a healer in Dellour?"

"Training as a healer's _apprentice_," she quickly corrected. "Well, apparently one apprenticeship is as good as another. I'm treated like dirt no matter where I go," she said sadly, turning her head aside.

"Lynn," Landen said, staring her in the eyes. "You were just praised by that healer! Do you really think people think lowly of you as an apprentice?"

Lynn looked up and saw anger in his eyes. This was even more unsettling than that old healer. She averted her gaze and replied in a soft voice, "Oh, that's right. Some squires get special treatment from the princess while others don't. My bad, forgot about that."

"Don't talk like that, Lynn," Landen said, his voice smooth and powerful. "We don't have control over how other people treat us--,"

"Oh I know that--," Lynn said.

"--But we choose how we think of ourselves," Landen said, suddenly grabbing her by the shoulders. "You are an amazing girl, Lynn."

Lynn was a bit stunned. "Hah," she said quickly, a smirk on her face. "Too bad no one recognizes the 'great', nor the 'girl'," she said, brushing Landen's arms off and stepping past him.

Landen said two words in a soft voice, but a split second later, the chamber door flew open and the princess stepped out, attended by her ladies-in-waiting.

"You heard the old healer, Lady Yvonne needs her rest. I leave two maids and squire Lynn by her side, to call me at once if anything happens. Come, squire Landen, Sir Galadore has appointed you to guard me," she said, huffily giving instructions to the people around her while walking with clip-clopping steps down the hallway.

"Go on, squire, your princess awaits," Lynn said, not looking at him. "Apparently, the only people who ever need me are those who are sick," she said, entering the room and closing the door.

Landen took a deep breath and repeated the two words in front of the closed door, before turning to follow the chattering ladies.

---

(Oh-ho-ho, what could these mysterious words be? Find out in the next chapter. First of many almost-fluff Lynn/Landen moments. Don't forget to review, give your comments and recommendations for the story. Thanks!)


	7. Thoughts People Think

07

Thoughts People Think

---

_Don't you want to see this through? I do. I do_.

"I--," Lynn said, waking from her waking dream. "--do? What?" she said to herself, finding she was saying these last two words out loud.

"I do," she repeated to herself. It was one of those phrases that she hears in her mind, not knowing where she'd heard it or who had said it. "I do -- not know what this means," she said, shaking her head.

Leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms upward, she took a look around her. Apparently she'd fallen asleep leaning over on the Lady's bed. She put one hand on the sheets and went pale. The duke's daughter was not in her bed. She tensed and stood up suddenly, nearly knocking over her chair.

As she rose, she felt two fingers poke her on both sides of her abdomen, together with a loud high-pitched "Boo!" from somewhere behind her, followed by an "Ow!" as her chair toppled backwards.

She whirled around to see a girl in her petticoats, rubbing her nose, where the chair had hit her.

"Lady Yvonne!" squire Lynn exclaimed. "Milady, I apologize. Are you hurt?" she said, hastening around the chair and kneeling next to the duke's daughter, who was around a head shorter than her.

"I'm fine, see?" Yvonne said, beaming happily, the tip of her nose bright red. "I surprised you, didn't I, squire Lynn. You jumped right up!"

Lynn gave a sigh of relief. "Yes, yes, you did give me quite a fright back there, in more ways than one," she said, her hand over her chest, giving a bow. "How are you feeling? Do you not wish to rest in bed?"

"No, I'm fine," she said, twirling around slowly. "Were you the one who asked for the big hairy round things for me to drink from? I like those. Could you get me some more? Is it magical medicine?"

"Well, yes, maybe, and no," Lynn said, her hand behind her head. "It was to prevent you from dehydrating, milady. Apparently, you were losing a lot of fluid, vomiting and, er, defecating as you were."

"Whatever it was," Yvonne said, giving a little hop and landing in front of Lynn. "It made me feel a whole lot better. Thank you, Squire Lynn," she said, giving a cute little curtsy.

"You are welcome, Milady," Lynn answered, bowing. "Now I think you should rest some more, if you would just get back into your bed and--,"

"No, no, no, squire!" Yvonne said, stomping her feet with each "No". "I'm tired of resting. I've been in bed for three whole days! And nobody but those noisy old ladies around me all the time! I want to play, squire Lynn, take me outside to play, please," she said, taking hold of Lynn's hand.

"I think we should ask permission from your caretakers first, Lady Yvonne," Lynn said, reluctantly being dragged to the bedroom door. "I am sure they would be worried by your absence."

"Don't worry about them," Yvonne said, her grip on Lynn's hand firm. "They're always worrying about me anyway, so what difference does it make anymore? I also want to introduce you to our castle's Jester. He's ever so delightful. I believe he should be in the courtyard now."

The squire sighed. "Very well, Milady," she said. "But first, I believe we should dress you in something more suited for outdoors, don't you think?"

"You are absolutely right, Squire," she said, stopping in her tracks. "I command you to dress me in my favorite yellow dress, but don't fix my hair. I hate it when people fix my hair. It takes ever so long and it hurts my head."

"Very well, Milady," Lynn said, leading her to her wardrobe. "Very well."

---

"Good morning to our dear Yvonne,  
She eats, and runs, and plays 'til dawn  
The little girl, she hates this song  
Our dear little Yvonne,"

They heard a voice ringing out in the courtyard, accompanied by a lute, as they stepped from the shade of the castle patio. It was a small courtyard, much smaller than back in Kippernia Castle, with benches all around, for people to gather.

"Good morning to you, too, Chester," Lady Yvonne said, giving a small curtsy in front of the jester. "Tongue as sharp as always, I see."

_The Jester's name is Chester?_ Lynn thought to herself, stifling a giggle as she stood by the Lady's side.

"Just composing songs for our little lady Duchess-to-be," Chester replied, bowing. "Though I must mention, you have to be this tall," he said, holding a hand above Yvonne's head, "to enter this courtyard. Grow a few inches and maybe people won't treat you like a ten-year-old."

The Duke's daughter lightly slapped him on the shoulder, then folded her arms and turned away. "Oh, dear Chester the Jester, you must be cordial in front of our guest lady knight. Lady Squire Lynn, meet Chester. Chester, meet Lady Squire Lynn."

"I suggest you leave out the 'lady' when you introduce her," the fool said. "It's a mouthful. And they're more likely to believe that this person is a boy, than believe that a girl could be a squire."

"What are you implying about my friend, Jester?" Lady Yvonne said, putting her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"Nothing, Milady, absolutely nothing," he said, strumming on his lute. "I'm just thinking out loud."

Lynn opened her mouth to speak, but thought better and shut her mouth.

"Well, keep your thoughts to yourself, funnyman," came a voice from behind them. They turned to see Squire Landen walking up to them, hands behind his back. He bowed to the princess, who curtsied back.

Turning to the Jester once more, he continued. "You risk incurring the anger of a very formidable pair of squires," he said, standing beside Lynn, resting one hand on her shoulder. "The knights of Kippernia are here. Best watch your words."

"Oh, my apologies, sir Squire," the Jester said, bowing low. "I apologize kindly to the Lady Knight, and to her gallant Knight friend. I take my leave now, lest I call your wrath upon me," he said, skipping away. "Goodbye, Lady Squire Lynn, sir Squire of Kippernia, Lady Yvonne."

Lynn chuckled to herself as she brushed Landen's arm off. "'The knights of Kippernia are here'?" she said, one eyebrow raised. "I think I like that. It sounds so wonderfully threatening, for a mere two knight apprentices."

"Well it scared the jester off, didn't it?" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Speaking of whom, who was that prankster, anyway? I didn't see him the last time."

"Neither did I," Lynn said, stroking her chin. "Though it has been half a year since I last accompanied the royal family. Might you enlighten us, dear Lady Yvonne?"

They both turned to look at the short-statured girl, who was following the jester's retreating form with strange-looking eyes. Lynn bent over and spoke directly into Lady Yvonne's ear. "Lady Yvonne, could you tell us more about your jester?"

Yvonne started, her hands flying to her face. "My Chester? I mean, er, jester?" she cleared her throat and started wobbling back and forth, muttering unintelligible things.

Landen cleared his throat and, looking far away, said in a loud voice, "Well, Lynn, I think it's time we reported back to Sir Galadore, don't you think? Why don't we escort Lady Yvonne back into the antechamber. I am sure the Duke would like to see that she is well."

Lynn straightened up. "Yes, you're right. We should take her to see the Duke. Come, Lady Yvonne, let us proceed to the antechamber."

"Yes, well," the little lady said, clearing her throat and assuming a dignified posture. "Ah, yes, of course, to the antechamber. Let us go then, dear knights," she said, in a dignified voice.

---

The three of them entered the throne room, Lady Yvonne, a little girl around three winters younger than both Landen and Lynn, walked ahead with poise that Lynn had seen in her only around her father, and around noble guests. With the squires, she was as playful as any little girl should be expected to be.

Right outside the door, they paused awhile as the Duke's daughter took a deep breath. Suddenly, they heard laughter from inside the chamber. Lady Yvonne suddenly stiffened and hesitated, her hand on the heavy wooden door. Lynn and Landen went ahead of her to open the double doors for her.

"Wait, no, I think--," she said, as the doors swung open and the two squires bowed down to let her pass.

The Duke and Duchess were sitting in their ornate chairs, and, surprisingly for Lynn, were laughing quite heartily. In front of them, Chester the jester appeared to have just finished a juggling routine, and his throwing bags were scattered at his feet.

"Oh, dear daughter, come in, come in," the Duke said, between fits of laughter. "You have just missed Chester's most brilliant performance yet."

Lady Yvonne walked huffily to her father and took her seat next to them. "I care not for his silly antics, father. He is nothing but a fool," she said, nose up in the air.

"Why, thank you for noticing, milady," the jester said, bowing low. "It seems she has a sharp eye, lord. She never fails to speak such gentle words to me."

"Thank you, court jester, you may leave us now," the Duke said, with a wave of his hand. Then, turning to his daughter, he said, "I am so glad that you are alright. You had us quite worried."

"Yes, he immediately called for the next town's healer, ladies-in-waiting-on-vacation, and even the King himself to attend to you," the jester quipped as he was walking out the door, past the two squires standing guard.

"That is quite enough, jester. Please exit quickly and quietly," the king said in a loud voice.

"Actually, my name is Chester--," he said, sticking his head in the room.

"Squires, please escort him out of here," the Duke said to Lynn and Landen in a louder voice.

"Let's go, you prankster," Landen said, putting one hand on the jester's arm and pulling him away from the door.

Lynn shook her head as they shut the great doors once more, as the Duke's family started conversing inside. "Honestly, you're worse than our Kipp. Isn't that right, Landen?"

"I believe so--," Landen nodded.

"Honestly," Chester said in a high-pitched voice. "I think you can let go of my arm now. It's alright, I won't bite."

"Oh, sorry," Landen said, releasing his grip.

"Thank you," he said, rubbing his arm. "I was starting to lose feeling in that hand. And besides, I think I should leave the two of you alone now. You go on and walk together, side-by-side, hand-in-hand, if I may suggest. Lady Squire Lynn would like that, now wouldn't you?"

"Excuse me!" Lynn said, her voice rising. "You do not tell us squires what to do, knave."

"Very well then," the jester said, stopping and falling behind them. "I'll leave you two to what you want to do. Carry on, I shall be fine on my own."

"Don't assume things!" Lynn shouted as the jester ran down the corridor away from them. "Fool."

Landen chuckled. "I didn't know you were so hot-headed."

"People shouldn't be saying such presumptive things like that," Lynn said, her brow still furrowed.

"I know," Landen said, nodding.

"I mean, 'hand-in-hand'? What does he think of us: sweethearts?"

"Exactly."

"I am a knight. I have my dignity, and I choose who I want to be with--," she said, her voice trailing off as she suddenly realized something.

"I agree, wholeheartedly. Especially when a certain somebody tries to force me to be with the princess all the time," Landen said, slowly turning to face her.

Lynn looked at him and then bowed her head again. "Oh. Sorry, that's me, isn't it," she said, in a low voice.

Landen suddenly broke into a laugh and patted Lynn on the shoulder. "It's alright, I've forgiven you for all of that."

Then, standing beside her and resting his elbow on her shoulder, he said in a cheerful voice, "What say you we ask permission to go into town? We could get gifts for everyone back in Kippernia."

Lynn suddenly cheered up and clapped her hands. "That's right! And you could even buy a little something for Princess Gle-- Oh, oops," she said, covering her mouth with her hands.

Landen laughed again. "Let's just go, okay, Lynn?"

"Okay," she answered, as they set off to find Sir Galadore.


	8. Chains People Link

08

Chains People Link

-.-.-

"Wow," Landen said, as they strode through the town. "It's so different from Kippernia!"

"Meh," Lynn said, rolling her eyes as her vision dragged across the multitude of stalls that lined the dusty avenue. "It's nothing new. Same old fish stalls, chicken stalls, cow stalls, sheep stalls…" she would've gone on and on, not in sarcasm, but in truth, as she enumerated the different stalls that they passed.

"Look at that! A real-live pig!" he said, rushing over to where several little porkers bustled about in a little wooden pen.

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention the pig stalls," Lynn said, walking over to where he stood, agape at the pink creatures. "You seem rather excited about all of this."

"Well of course I'm excited about all of _this_," he said, turning to face her with sparkling eyes. He spread his arms out to his sides at the word "this." "It's amazing, all these different people and animals, and pots and pans and stuff, all in one place. It's different to what we're used to back in Kippernia; smaller streets, more people, more… more different."

"Yeah, I guess so," Lynn said, looking around her, avoiding his sparkling eyes, and to hide the warmth that crept into her cheeks.

"While you seem unexcited about all of this," Landen said, turning his attention and gaze to her again. "Doesn't it amaze you?"

"Overwhelm, yes," Lynn said, tilting her head to the side and thinking hard. "Amaze, not so much. It was much like this back home, in Dellour…" she said, her voice trailing off.

"Oh," Landen said, smiling broadly again. "That's right, you must be used to all sorts of different lands before you moved into Kippernia Castle. Tell me, what other things might be found in a place such as Dellour - such as this?"

"Well," Lynn said, smiling and squinting a bit as she tried to remember her own hometown. "Dellour was a small border town to the east, much like this town, which is a Dukedom not at all comparable to our own Kippernia. Most of the industry of towns like these come from agriculture and livestock, meaning most outskirts would be farmlands, and the markets would be full of fruits, vegetables, and animals, all at low cost, and that exporting to other cities would be a big bonus, just like this Dukedom has an economic agreement with our own Kippernia.

"Also, it wouldn't be a surprise to find 'specialty items' that would most likely be unusual herbs or plants, usually for medicinal purposes, as well as botanists or herbalists who would set up shop at the edges of the market…" she said, squinting around the market area. Spotting a certain stall, she started briskly walking to it, excitedly. "Such as this one," she said, calling back to Landen.

Landen blinked a couple of seconds before walking over to her. "Wow," he said, patting her on the shoulder. "That was some lecture you gave. I guess I should've expected nothing less from you. I keep forgetting that you used to a scholar," he said, laughing.

"Oh, shut up," Lynn said, looking away and blushing fiercely. "I just answered your question, laughing is most certainly uncalled for."

"Lighten up, bog-face," Landen said, patting her on the head this time. "I'm trying to compliment you here."

"Oh yeah, compliment me by calling me names," Lynn said, turning to face him, her face heating up even more. "I can see that working completel-."

"WELL HELLO THERE," a voice suddenly called out to them, sinuous and singsong, from the stall they had stopped in front of. "What about a revitalizing herbal potion for the lovely energetic couple in front of my stall," the merchant said, standing up to face them.

"We're not a coup-," Lynn started to shout, but checked herself, and held back. She cleared her throat. "Oh, we're sorry about that, we'll just look around quietl-."

"What's this?" Landen piped up, cutting her off.

"That, my boy," the merchant said, pointing to the dark golden liquid in the vial Landen held. "Is a special brew, a good remedy for cough."

Lynn took the bottle from his hands and shook it around a little. "It's thick, probably uses honey. Honey, and lemon juice, perhaps," she said, opening the cork cap, and moving the bottle around under her nose. "I was right, plus a hint of alcohol, most probably whisky, and a hint of mint, too, a eucalyptus leaf, crushed, and added to the mix."

Lynn handed the bottle back to Landen. "Though I do wonder, was it bourbon or whisky which was traditionally used back then…," she asked herself, as she pulled out her notebook from her satchel and flipped through the pages. Finding what she was looking for, she nodded. "Yes, it _was_ whisky, I remember we had plenty of that in the market back home, sold by a travelling merchant from the neighboring town. So this is almost the same thing we use back home, for cough and colds, and for soothing sore throats."

Landen and the merchant were silent, as Lynn ended her speech and closed her notebook. They were staring at her, as well as a few other market-goers in the vicinity.

"What?" Lynn said, suddenly self-conscious.

"Why yes, the young lady is absolutely correct," the merchant said, grinning broadly. "Quite the brain you've got there, little lady."

Lynn blushed again, put her hands together, and remained silent.

"Tell me, is it true what your companion has said? You are a scholar?" the merchant asked, still smiling.

"Well, yes, I mean, no, not anymore. I left that apprenticeship in Dellour a long time ago," she said, shaking her head.

She heard Landen sniff a little. Was he curious too?

"And tell me, that is your notebook, yes? It looks well-used, worthy of a great scholar," the merchant said, eyeing the notebook she had in her arms.

"Yes, I've had it a long time, it was given to me by my father. I still use it up to now, for many things, actually, I find it very useful," Lynn said, smiling lopsidedly. She could see Landen out of the corner of her eye. Was he rolling his eyes? He was looking around nervously.

"Would you care to let me see it? Just for a while?" the merchant asked in a gentle voice.

"Well, if just for a while," Lynn said, about to hand it to the man.

"Actually," Landen suddenly said, stepping in front of her. "We're in a hurry right now, so I'm sorry if we can't humor your request," he said, bowing slightly.

Lynn was surprised as he turned to her, his back to the merchant.

"Put it away. We have to leave _now_," he whispered, his face only a few inches from hers.

Flustered, she tucked her notebook back into her satchel and followed Landen as he abruptly turned and headed back towards the Duke's mansion.

"What is it, Landen?" she called to his back as he hustled his way through the crowd.

People pressed on her from all sides, and she panicked as she lost sight of him. She couldn't push her way forwards, and she jumped as she felt a heavy unknown hand on her shoulder and gripping the strap of her satchel bag. She hung on to her bag and tried to shake the hand off, but it gripped her shoulder tightly, and painfully.

"Help! Thief!" she shouted out, trying to turn around and face the thief, but there were too many people, and though she was able to turn herself around, she couldn't get a good look at the hooded face at the end of the arm.

Suddenly an arm encircled her shoulders and pulled her backwards to it, while another hand gave a quick chop to the heavy arm, breaking its grip from her.

The hooded face groaned in pain and was lost in the crowd. Panicking again, Lynn broke free of her new captor, and was surprised to see Landen's face as his angry gaze followed the retreating hooded figure.

"Landen," Lynn said, in relief. "Landen, I-, I couldn't-," she stammered.

"Thank me later," Landen said, his gaze still far away. "We've got to get back to safety, I think that friendly merchant isn't so friendly after all."

Lynn could only nod at him and then hugged her bag to her chest this time, determined not to lose it. Landen put his arm around her shoulders and led her back up the road, determined not to lose her.


	9. Secrets People Keep

09

Secrets People Keep.

"And is that all that happened, squires?" Sir Galadore said, to Lynn and Landen, in the mansion's courtyard.

"Yes, sir, we came back here right afterwards, sir," Landen said. "I-, We did not see it safe to remain in the marketplace any longer."

"This is distressing. Quite distressing indeed," he said, rubbing his stubbled chin. "Very well. You two are to remain within the Duke's mansion until we return to Kippernia. I trust you made no mention of your alliance to the Duke or the King?"

"No sir, I believe Lynn only mentioned her hometown of Dellour, in connection with her notebook," Landen answered quickly.

"Good, good," Sir Galadore said. "This way the rest of the princess's party remains safe from the thieves' knowledge."

Sir Galadore walked away a few paces and looked up at the sky before turning and walking back to them.

"But that notebook," he said, motioning to Lynn. "May I have a look at it, Squire Lynn?"

Lynn flinched, remembering the merchant's words. She hesitated in bringing it out, then looked at Landen, unsure of what to do.

"Go on," he said, motioning his head toward their superior knight. "We trust him."

Sir Galadore took the notebook slowly from her hands. "May I?" he asked Lynn, who nodded shyly. He opened it to one of the many tabs she had on its pages. He flipped through random pages, before turning to the front page again.

"_Verdant Eldridge_," Galadore read out slowly. "Quite an intricate crest embellished here. If I do recall correctly, the head of this family is a man called Verdant Eldridge, of Dellour… if I'm not mistaken."

"Verdant…," Landen said, suddenly deep in thought. "Verdant. That's the name that old healer mentioned, back in the corridor. Verdant of Dellour, that's what I heard him say when I caught up to you back there."

"Yes, Verdant Eldridge, the prominent healer, known for his unusual methods and advocacy for the welfare of all citizens of the land," Sir Galadore said, closing the notebook. "But perhaps you'd know more of him, Squire Lynn _Eldridge_, daughter of Verdant Eldridge?"

"Wow," Landen gasped. "I knew you were more than an ordinary peasant," he said, scratching his head. "But I didn't think you were the daughter of someone that prominent. I mean, not that I know of that guy personally, but hey, if Sir Galadore knows him, he must be one heck of a bigshot."

"Oh shut up," Lynn said, blushing furiously. A wave of déjà vu hit her, but she brushed it off as she crossed her arms and turned away from Landen.

"Wait, then that notebook isn't yours?" Landen asked suddenly, pointing at the notebook in Galadore's hand. "I mean, if the name on it is your father's…"

"Yes, it was my father's," Lynn said, bowing her head. "I found it among his belongings after he died three years ago."

-.-.-

In one of the mansion's study rooms, Lynn read to them from her father's journal as the shelves of books flickered in the light of the lamps.

_Dellour was once an independent state, right at the eastern border of the Kingdom's reaches. It was a self-sufficient town at peace with both Kippernia, and the lands to the east, a neutral town._

_A hundred years ago, a dragon and his woman rider came to the town. The citizens then had heard rumors about them, travelling the entire kingdom and forming alliances with its cities. The Lady Knight Jane offered such an alliance, offering the Kingdom's protection if Dellour would allow the Kingdom to appoint some guardians, and recruit some of the townsfolk and youth in its service. The Dellour Council was honored by her presence and agreed at once._

_Dellour mourned the death of the brave Lady Knight Jane, as the news came to Dellour a short 10 years after she herself had visited. The Dragon, it was said, left the Kingdom after her death and was never seen since. However, life went on it little Dellour._

"That was a history bit," Lynn said, pointing it out to them. "Next he has accounts of his own life, starting work as a healer, marrying my mother, me being born, my mother dying…" she enumerated, her voice trailing off at the last one. "Me being his apprentice," she blushed slightly as she said this, before continuing, "and accounts of his last few months. While he was sick, before he died."

"Oh," Landen said, quietly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know…"

"It's okay," Lynn said, trying to smile. "And this last bit here, is a letter… to me."

She read it to them. She could almost hear her father's voice as she read:

"_My beloved Lynn,_

"_Though you may find my body cold and still, believe you me, my mind is exploring the vast abyss after life. I don't know yet what will happen to me as my body rots in its eventual grave, but I don't want you be sad._

"_For years I have trained you as a healer, and I have found you a fantastic student, and a perfect daughter. And especially since you are a healer, do not blame yourself for my coming death._

"_I believe I know what has been happening to my body these past few months. It is no common sickness, as you may have noticed. I've been taking note of every little ache and pain in my body, my blood, and I have compiled it in this journal. This is something I have, in fact had the chance to treat before… It was something I failed to do. It was something beyond both of us. Again, do not blame yourself for my death, like I blame myself for your mother's._

"_Your mother was a great woman, always very thoughtful and helpful, and of course, someone who gave birth to a daughter as wonderful as you. This strange sickness, I believe is the same one that afflicted her when you were but a child. I could not forgive myself for not being able to bring her back to health, and after that, avoided all reminders of her dying days. But now I regret trying to forget about it, because I find that I am suffering from the same thing._

"_I realize now that she could not have blamed me for failing to cure her, just as I cannot blame you. I've seen you at your best everyday, caring for me, and I know now that I have raised you, and taught you well, my daughter, my only child._

"_I thus entrust this journal to you, knowing you will find it, and hoping you will use its contents wisely._

"_Your father,_

"_Verdant Eldridge."_

Landen and Sir Galadore were silent when she finished.

She took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes, holding back a sob that had appeared in her throat. "A week after that, I couldn't function. I couldn't even read through the textbooks I used to study all the time. _I couldn't cure him_, is what I kept remembering. I can't go through with being a healer.

"I left for Kippernia soon after. I came to the castle, seeking employment from the king. Anything besides being a healer was alright with me. At first I thought I would be a lady-in-waiting, but after meeting the princess, I adamantly requested to be appointed somewhere else," she said, recalling her early days in Kippernium Castle.

"Ah, I remember, Squire Lynn," Sir Galadore suddenly said, rising from his chair from behind the large wooden desk that separated him and the two squires. "You were the chamberlain's apprentice when you came to me after squire's training."

"Yes, after I saw Lan-," she said, suddenly checking herself and clearing her throat. "I mean, after I saw the squires training. The chamberlain's books reminded me too much of my studies back home…"

"I remember too!" Landen suddenly said, sitting next to her. "You were so shy then, avoiding everyone like we all had the plague."

"Oh, don't remind me," Lynn said, suddenly chuckling. "You wouldn't know how awkward it was, to be in a new setting, with new people, especially since…"

"Especially since what?" Landen queried.

"Since…," Lynn said, but she hesitated. "Since I'm, well, you know, a girl. And you were all guys."

Landen laughed suddenly. "Oooh, that's why you were so shy. What a sheltered life you must have led before coming to Kippernia then!"

"Oh shut up, dung-brain," Lynn said, blushing.

Sir Galadore chuckled too, as he watched to two squires suddenly reminiscing about the three years that Lynn had been in the Kippernium Castle.

They heard a knock at the door and a messenger boy came in, in a red and brown uniform. "The Princess, Duke, Duchess, and Young Mistress require the Knights at the dining hall in thirty minutes' time," he announced with a straight face.

Sir Galadore walked over to the door and acknowledged the message, sending the boy running off again.

"Very well then, squires, I believe our time for talk has run out. We have a royal dinner to attend to," he said, with a smile on his face.

And thoughts of the journal were lost as it was left behind on the wooden desk.

-.-.-

Hurrah, quick update of Chapter 9! The first part of this was supposed to be in Chapter 8, but it ended up going on too long so I cut it into the next Chapter, and ended up completing the ninth one! Hope it's alright, and comment on whatever you want to comment on. I think my writing style may have changed a bit, since it was quite a gap between Chapters 7 and 8, so feel free to comment on that as well.

Oh the suspense, what will happen to the journal?


	10. Tears People Weep

10

Tears People Weep

-.-.-

"And then she was like, 'Oh my goodness, no way,' and I was like, 'Oh _my_ goodness, _yes_ way!' and then…" the princess's shrill voice rang out in the hall.

Next to her, Lady Yvonne, only a few years younger, listened attentively at her cousin's vivid reconstruction of a conversation she had with one of her ladies-in-waiting earlier that afternoon.

Lynn could only stand and roll her eyes until she was dizzy, and then roll them the other way to compensate. She was standing sideways to the great dining table, her back to one of the great pillars in the great dining hall, under the arch that led to one of the great doorways.

In front of her, on the other side of the arch, his back also to another pillar, was Landen. If it weren't for him standing across from her like this, she probably would've made up some excuse to leave her post, listening as she was to the princess's nonsensical nonsense.

Thankfully, the main course had just been cleared from the table, and they were just starting on their dessert. A couple of steaming pies were brought in from the kitchen, and their delicious smell wafted over to the two squires. Lynn felt her stomach grumble. Licking her lips, she swallowed and took a deep breath as she steeled herself for the rest of this meal. Earlier, there had been a delicious roast turkey, served on a platter swimming in a rich gravy, with a side of broiled potatoes, also swimming in gravy, together with a platter of carrots and corn, which was in turn preceded by a deliciously fresh salad with honey dressing. She saw red wine being poured into beautiful wine glasses rimmed with gold decorations. Staring helplessly at the bountiful table, she couldn't help but wish she could one day maybe perhaps be a noble, too, so that she could eat like that everyda-.

"And then she said, 'Noooo, he couldn't have!', but I said 'Oh yeaaah, he did!" the princess's shrill voice jerked her back to reality.

She shook her head and wanted to slap herself, too, if it weren't for the swords they were holding point down, and the leather and metal gauntlets on her hands. Instead, she yawned, blinking away tears that formed in her eyes. She shut her mouth abruptly, as from the table, Sir Galadore turned around to look at the two of them. Satisfied with his squires' performance, he turned back to the Duke, to the conversation they were having about the exquisite tapestry hanging on the wall. Lynn gave a big sigh.

Across from her Landen gave her a smile, looked at the table laden with food and licked his lips before looking back at Lynn. _Delicious food they must be having_.

Lynn then smirked at him, looked at the _princess_, mimicked her side-to-side bobbing head and made little exaggerated talking movements with her mouth. She then rolled her eyes slowly while shaking her head and looking back at the princess. _I wouldn't want to be with the princess, listening to her talking, though_. Then she suddenly regretted having said that, and mouth agape, looked back worriedly at Landen, wondering what he might think about what she just said.

He tilted his head toward the princess and shrugged his shoulders, then as a servant passed by with a new plate of pie, followed it with his eyes longingly, licking his lips and nodding. _I don't know about being with the princess, but that pie sure is looking pretty good_.

Lynn snorted, holding back a laugh. She smiled back at Landen and gave a sigh, looking at her sword and motioning it towards Landen just the slightest bit before returning to an exaggerated posture. _Yeah. Too bad we've got guard duty to do right now_.

Landen gave a couple of small shrugs, and giving a small sidewards smile. _But it's not so bad_. He pointed to himself with his thumb, still on the sword hilt, then pointed to Lynn with the index finger. She saw him mouth the word "together."

Lynn could only smile back.

-.-.-

Lynn and Landen were laughing at the small wooden long table in the kitchen. Right after the Duke's family and the Princess finished their meal, they were allowed to eat their own supper. Once out of sight of the nobles and Sir Galadore nearly tripped over their own armor and knocked each other over with their dress swords as they ran for the kitchen, where they plonked themselves down on the bench and dug into the food.

"And then she was like, 'No way!' and I was like 'Yes way my voice is fake!'" Lynn said in a high falsetto voice, trying to imitate the princess, bringing out a hearty laugh from Landen.

"Oh what a lovely tapestry you have, Sir Duke," Landen said, in a singsong imitation of Sir Galadore's conversation earlier. "I do believe it matches your eyes so very well," he said, blinking his eyes repeatedly.

Lynn burst out laughing and slapping the table. She wiped tears from her eyes as someone sat down at the table.

"Oooh, what a lively couple we have here today," Chester the jester said, from where he sat next to Landen. "I'm starting to worry if there was whisky in the bread."

"Oh buzz off, _funny man_," Lynn said, facing him. "No harm in a good laugh. Especially after Lady Yvonne accidentally flung a piece of potato onto the princess's sleeve!" and burst out laughing again.

Landen laughed, then drank some water to try to control his laughing. "Phew, that sure was a good dinner."

"Which one? The nobles' or ours?" Lynn asked rhetorically as she start chuckling again. She too picked up her glass to drink some water.

"What a way to end a stressful day," Landen said, leaning back from the table. "All that eventful stuff with the marketplace, the merchant, that notebook, then Sir Galadore..."

Lynn suddenly became somber as she remembered the fright she had in the market. Then she relaxed as she recalled how Landen had helped her. Remembering their conversation with Sir Galadore she furrowed her brow, then when she remembered her notebook, she couldn't help remembering Dellour, and eventually gave a deep sigh.

"Yeah, all that stuff," Lynn said. "That notebook sure was a lot of trouble."

"Notebook?" Chester asked. "Did you mention a notebook? I love notebooks."

"Yeaaah, sure you do," Lynn said, eyeing the jester.

"No, really, I have a few myself. This one's my latest," he said, as he pulled a notebook from one of his pockets. "It's my pride and joy."

"Wow, that's really exquisite," Lynn said, admiring the embossed letters on the front, and the exquisite calligraphy inside, as Chester displayed the notebook to them. "These are your songs?"

"And jokes, and satires, and epics," the joker said, counting them off on her fingers. "And I did the cover myself. Though I don't really have a family crest… I suppose I should make one up for my next one. Which reminds me of that beautiful notebook I saw today in one of the studies as I was headed here for supper. It looked rather beat up, and there was this unusual crest on it, kind of like a tree, all old and bent over, on top of a hill. It seemed odd, for a family crest to be like that. I'd never seen it before."

"Wait," Lynn suddenly cut him off, spitting out the water she'd been drinking. "A family crest with a tree? What color was the notebook?"

"Yeah, with a tree. And it was black, and about 'yay thick and 'yay tall," he said, motioning with his hands.

"Where did you see it again?" Lynn said, getting flustered.

"In one of the studies. The door was open and there was this man standing over it. I pushed the door a bit wider and it creaked, then the man suddenly jerked back and saw me. He had a hooded cape, but it wasn't up, but I still couldn't see him well 'coz it was dark in there. I think he cursed at me then suddenly brushed past me and walked briskly down the hall. I remember thinking it was suspicious because I'd never seen that man before. I went over to the table and look at what he was looking at, when I saw the notebook. I wondered what it was doing off the shelves, so I put it back in," he explained.

Lynn stood up abruptly. "Oh my goodness, I left it in the study, didn't I? I didn't notice it when I went back to my quarters before dinner…" she said, suddenly leaping from the table. "Quick, jester, you have to show me where you put it," she said, yanking on his arm.

"Alright, alright, I'll show you," Chester said, following. "Though you pronounce it with a 'ch,' not a 'j,'" he explained.

-.-.-

"Now was it this shelf?" Chester said, standing in front of a bookshelf twice as tall as he was. "Nah, I don't think it was this one," he said, tilting his head to one side. "Nope, I think it was a bookshelf one and a half times as tall as me."

Landen was quietly walking his eyes down one shelf, quickly reading the spines. "Not over here, Lynn."

Lynn was looking around frantically, pulling out books and texts at random. "No, no, where is it? Chester, you have to remember."

"Look, Lynn," he said, facing her and crossing his arms in mock seriousness. "I just shoved it back in one of the shelves. It's not like I'm going to remember that it was the top shelf of the bookcase over there in the corner by the large vase. I mean, who could do that?"

Lynn made a dash for it, standing on her toes, and she could still barely see the books on the top shelf. A large figure loomed behind her, nearly pressing her into the bookcase, and reached over her head.

"Is this it?" Landen asked, lowering the notebook to eye level.

"Yes! It is!" Lynn nearly squealed, taking the notebook with both hands. She jumped up and down in place, then grabbed onto Landen's arm, squealing "Thank you thank you thank you" into his shoulder.

"Don't mention it," Landen replied, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. Lynn felt his breath catch, before he relaxed and started breathing slowly.

They were like that for an awkward second until Chester interjected.

"Oh sure, hug his _arm_, that's definitely how you should show your affection," he said, rolling his eyes. "And no thanks for the one who drove the thief away and put it there in the first place?"

Lynn immediately let go and stepped away from Landen, lowering her face. "Yes, well," she said, stepping over to Chester. "Thank you," she said, holding out her hand.

"Oh, you have got to be joking me," Chester said, rolling his eyes. "And joking's my job, woman," he said, grudgingly taking her hand and giving it one big shake. Letting go, he turned to Landen and said "Some sweetheart you've got there."

"Buzz off, dung-dweller!" Lynn snapped. "Just because I don't throw myself onto any boy when I say 'thank you-,'" she started.

"Oh no, I guess you don't," Chester said, stepping backwards, towards the door. "It's just him then?" he said, motioning toward Landen. "Let me leave you two alone now, terribly sorry for interrupting that very heartwarming scene. That arm's getting pretty lonely now," he said, exiting the study. They heard his footsteps disappear down the corridor, in the direction of the servants' quarters.

Lynn gave a little sob and was surprised; she suddenly realized that she had been crying since she got the notebook back. She wiped them away on her gauntlet and turned back to Landen. "Well, I guess we'd better head back to-."

She was cut off by a loud noise from the doorway. Landen's face was frozen in the flickering candlelight, a fierce visage looking somewhere over her shoulder. The lamps were blown slightly by a gust. The doors had been slammed shut.

"Lynn, get behind me," Landen said, his voice as solid as steel, holding his hand out to her.

She could only nod and take his hand, and stand next to him and slightly behind. She suddenly felt cold in her armor, as her eyes tried to make out the figure in the darkness. A hooded man stood in the room, blocking the door. And a voice, heavy with an unknown accent, called to them.

"Give me the notebook. Now."

-.-.-

((Ooooh, plenty fluff right there :3. And suspense! Hope you enjoyed it! There are three tears in this chapter. Hope that was enough to give the title some relevance XP.))


	11. Places People Hide

11

Places People Hide

-.-.-

"Give me the notebook," the hooded man repeated, his voice thick with an accent Lynn did not recognize.

"You-, you're the man Chester saw earlier," Lynn said, quietly.

"Ah yes, the jingle boy. Quite the nuisance, really. Shouldn't have let him go quietly after seeing me here. My mistake," he said, maliciously. "Even hid that notebook, so I couldn't find it when I came back. So I waited for you to return, instead. And now here you are.

"You are very good prey, I will give you that," the man said, taking a step towards them. "But it is not you I'm chasing. I will say it again: Give me the notebook," he said, extending his hand towards her.

"You were the man in the market, too, weren't you?" Lynn said, suddenly recognizing the hand that had grabbed her shoulder. "Why do you want it so badly?"

"It's nothing personal, little girl," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Just a little business I have to do for my client."

"It's that merchant, isn't it?" Landen said, quickly thinking up other words, stalling for time as the man kept walking closer and closer to them. "I knew he wasn't just a curious scholar. And you are nothing but a petty thief."

The man wagged his finger and tsked. "Thief, yes, but petty, not so much," he said. "Freelancer, or mercenary, perhaps, is more suiting. But I guess you can't be picky with names in my line of work."

As the man talked, Lynn and Landen saw the door open a creak, and a certain jingle boy, minus the jingle, silently enter the room, out of sight of the mercenary.

"You're not taking it," Landen said, suddenly banging her arm against a bookshelf. "It doesn't belong to you," he said, reaching behind the books and shoving them in front of the man's feet.

The man shrugged his shoulders, stepping around the pile of books. "That is none of my concern. What I know is that it will soon be in my possession."

"Do you have any idea what this notebook contains?" Lynn said, while out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chester pick up a heavy vase from a corner of the room.

"That," the man said, shrugging his shoulders again as the two squires backed up against a solid wall. "Is also not of my concern. I am a simple man, not much for the knowledge that certain scholars wish to control. I don't care what is written, as long as I get paid-,"

A heavy vase from the hands of a jester atop a wooden table fell onto the head of a thief who spoke too much and accomplished too little. He swayed a little, then fell down at Lynn's feet, unconscious, a shallow scalp wound starting a growing stain on his hood.

"I can see that you really don't care about knowledge, do you," Chester said, dusting his hands off and jumping down from the table. "Idiot blabbermouth. Not fit to be called a professional, don't you agree?"

Lynn and Landen laughed at the unconscious amateur thief.

"What do we do with him?" Lynn asked, stepping over his body.

"Tie him up, I guess," Landen said, sheepishly.

"I suggest deep fried," Chester said, tilting his head to the side. Lynn and Landen glared at him. "It was just a suggestion," he quickly added.

-.-.-

One day later…

"Why don't I get to go on such exciting trips?" Kipp complained over lunch in Kippernia Castle.

"Because you're a fool," Landen said, popping a small tomato into his mouth.

"Because you don't suck up to the princess enough," Lynn said distastefully, taking a sip of water.

"Because you don't hate the princess so much that you want to torture her with your company for an entire day's trip in the royal carriage," Landen said, glaring at Lynn.

"Because the princess isn't in love with you so much that she talks about you for an entire day's trip in the royal carriage," Lynn said, glaring back at Landen.

"Yes, we already went over that princess in the carriage bit," Kipp said, taking another bite of his food. "But I can't believe you got attacked by a thief from a foreign land! That is so epic!"

"It wasn't much," Landen said, turning sharply away from Lynn. "He was just a hired thug. When we handed him over to the Duke's guardsmen, he gave up the name of his employer right away."

"I should've known that merchant was suspicious-looking," Lynn said, shaking her head. "I was so busy talking and talking I didn't realize I gave him too much information."

"Yeah," Landen said. "You sure do talk a lot."

"I do not-," Lynn started, but remembered how she had been going on and on about the marketplace, about Dellour, and about herbal mixes. "Well, maybe a little too much."

"A _lot_ too much," Landen repeated. "Especially about your notebook. If it's really important, you shouldn't bring it out in such a dangerous place."

"Meh, girls and papers. I'll never see what they see so amazing in them," Kipp said, rolling his spoon in his hand. "No need for notebooks, I say all my knowledge is stored up right here," he said, pointing to his own forehead. Lynn giggled as she remembered how the other jester absolutely _loved_ notebooks.

"I wonder what that man's accent was, though," Lynn said, suddenly lost in thought. "It sounded kind of familiar, but I couldn't quite place it."

"If it's accents you want, I'll help you with it," Kipp said, with a mock salute, mimicking Sir Galadore's voice and accent. "What did it sound like?"

"Well," Lynn said, giggling. "It was kind of singsong, like alternating up and down, and…" she said, thinking.

"Was it nasal…" Kipp asked, holding his nose. "Or guttural?" he said, doing a lower tone.

"More guttural, I think," Lynn said. "You almost had it there."

"Oh, you mean like this?" Kipp continued. "Like this like this like this…"

"Yes, very much like that," Lynn said, pointing at him.

"That's Colton's accent when he first came here," Kipp said, jerking his thumb towards the forge. "Fun and easy to learn, too," he said, copying it.

"Really? Colton's accent?" Lynn asked, bewildered. She started scouring her mind for the times she'd heard Colton talk. Admittedly, there weren't too many memories of that.

"Yeah, you're right, Kipp," Landen agreed. "That's too far back for Lynn to have known, though. I remember now why that thief's accent sounded familiar. Colton still has a bit of it now, too, actually, sometimes."

"You'd probably find out where that foreign thief was from if you ask where Colton came from," Kipp said. "Though I doubt you'd get much out of that freaky dude."

-.-.-

"Hometown?" Colton asked, putting down his hammer.

"Yes, your hometown…" Lynn said, fidgeting. "That is, if you remember."

"Hmm," Colton said, sitting down on the bench. Lynn remained standing.

There was an awkward silence. Colton appeared to be thinking.

"Desert," he said, after a while.

"Desert?" Lynn confirmed.

"Desert," Colton repeated, nodding his head. "Brick houses. Palm trees, and lutes."

"L-lutes," Lynn repeated. "Got it. Thanks."

She walked back into the kitchen where the others were eagerly waiting.

"Well? Well? What did he say his hometown was?" Kipp probed.

"I don't think he remembers anything about his hometown," Lynn said, shaking her head.

"That boy doesn't remember anything about anything," Kipp said, groaning. "And now we've lost our lead as to the nationality of that thief that attacked you."

"We aren't totally clueless, though," Lynn continued. "He said something about a desert, then brick houses, palm trees, and lutes."

Landen nodded. "That's out west alright. Which is basically no different from what we've known all along about Colton."

"Wait!" Lynn said, clapping her hands together suddenly. "I read something about lutes. Let me go look it up. Wait right here," she said, running to her quarters within the castle.

Kipp sighed and sat down on a stool. "I really thought Colton would open up to her, though."

"Open up to her?" Landen asked, pulling up another stool from nearby as Amber went back to her cooking. "Why?"

"Oh, well, you know," Kipp said, waving his hand around. "Because."

"Because what?" Landen said, leaning forward.

"Because!" Kipp said, exasperated. "Because I think he likes Lynn."

"And what makes you think that?" Landen laughed.

"I don't know," Kipp said, scratching his head. "Doesn't he?"

Landen snickered. "What a joke."

"Hey, I don't know about that. Lynn is an amazing girl," Kipp said, matter-of-factly. "Heck, even I can't help-,"

"Stop joking around, Kipp," Landen said, standing up, nearly knocking his stool over, his voice suddenly becoming serious.

"What? I'm just saying-," Kipp said, standing up slowly, rising to his full height, taller than Landen.

Landen walked up to Kipp and gave him a menacing look. "You _can not_ like Lynn," he said.

"Oh yeah?" the taller jester said, looking down on Landen. "Why not?"

"Because," Landen spat out. "Because-,"

"What are you two doing?" Lynn suddenly asked as she pushed open the door to the kitchen, carrying her notebook in a cloth pouch.

"Seeing who was taller," Kipp suddenly said, cheerfully facing her. "Landen wouldn't believe me and had to get in my face about it."

"It's just your _big head_ that differentiates us, fool," Landen laughed back.

"Yeah, well, I think I know what Colton's hometown is," she said, as she brought out her notebook and turned to the pages where she had written about lutes. "Way west of here," she pointed out a name on a page.

"Salmari?" Kipp and Landen read at the same time.

"Salmari," Lynn nodded. "I'm headed over to the castle library to read more about it. I'll be back in time for dinner," she said, as she walked off.

As she closed the door behind her, she thought she heard the two of them start tussling again. She tried to control her heartbeat, which had been thundering in her chest since she last entered the room. She had heard their conversation earlier, hiding behind the door. And she tried to hide her feelings away.


	12. People Places Guide

12

People Places Guide

-.-.-

"Isn't it weird that Colton doesn't remember anything?" Lynn asked, scanning a row of books. "I mean, it is _his _hometown that we're talking about. You'd think the guy would have at least some memories."

"Dunno," Kipp said, pulling out a random book, dusting off the cover, then putting it back. "That guy's been a weirdo ever since he came to the castle."

"Don't say bad things about him," she rebuked. "He's a good blacksmith, and you know it."

"I'm just saying," he raised his hands. "At any rate, this castle's had a long history of blacksmiths coming out of nowhere. Though Colton's the first and only person I know who's from the west."

"Do you guys know anything about his background or something? I mean, you've known him longer than I have."

"Nope. The guy doesn't talk a lot. Except maybe to the horses. And besides, like he told you, he doesn't remember about where he came from."

"But he knows how to play the lute. That means he must have some memories…," Lynn said, pulling out a thick book. "Here we go, a book on foreign lands."

"Okay, so he's a blacksmith, he plays the lute, came here 10 years ago, and has an accent," Kipp said, following Lynn to a table. "And all that is supposed to conclude that he's from Salmari?"

"Actually," Lynn said, flipping through the pages. "Yes. _Salmari_," she read from the page.

"By golly, you're right," Kipp said, scanning the page with her. "I may be a fool, but I can see all of this stuff adds up."

"Hah," Lynn said, pumping her fist. "You are absolutely right. On both accounts."

"Very funny," Kipp said, smiling. "Leave the jokes to me, little girl."

"Mm-hm," Lynn replied distractedly, pulling out her notebook and quill as she began taking notes from the page.

"Why are you smiling like an idiot?" Lynn asked, after a long moment.

"What? I'm a jester. I'm supposed to be jolly," he answered, grinning wider.

There was awkward silence as Lynn copied and Kipp watched silently.

"Hey, there," Amelia the bookkeep called to them as she walked by. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Kipp said, smiling at her.

"It's good that at least for once you browse through the _informative_ kind of books," she continued. "Instead of the common humor and storybooks you commonly read, Kipp."

"I'm sorry, Madame Bookkeep," Kipp said, bowing his head. "I am but a mere jester, and it is my duty to know the best stories and poems to recite to our dear nobles. It is not usually in my line of duty to recite the names of the kings of our great Kingdom from the age of the dragons up to-."

"Thank you, Kipp," Lynn said, pushing him aside. "I don't think we need to know that right now. And thank you, Miss Amelia for letting us use the library."

"No problem, Lynn, Kipp," Amelia said, beaming. "You're welcome here anytime."

"Ouch," Kipp hissed, rubbing his shoulder. "You don't have to do that. A well-educated jester knows when it's time to shut-,"

"Apparently," Lynn cut him off. "You haven't learned that yet."

"It was a joke. _A joke_," Kipp rebuked, still rubbing his shoulder. "Apparently even well-trained knights can't develop a proper sense of humor."

They exited the library under Amelia's watchful and knowing eye. She smiled to herself as they left.

-.-.-

Lynn was left to herself, perched between the battlements of the castle wall. It was her favorite spot, the round turret atop what used to be the quarters of the legendary Lady Knight Jane. Now it served its old purpose as an empty defensive parapet, with a large tapestry to commemorate the life of the great knight. Gashes in the stone were still prominent, left by her great dragon companion. She sighed, looking out at the sunset, the Eldridge Journal on her lap.

Thankfully, Kipp had been called away to the throne room, to attend to the royal family's visitors. "Ugh, do those people need a hobby," he said, as he let the chamberlain drag him away.

Lynn sighed and thought deep.

"So the thief was Salmarian," she said, counting off on her fingers. "And he was most probably working for that merchant who was so interested in my journal. And then Colton's probably Salmarian too, though he doesn't remember anything about his past…"

"I don't see how Colton is connected to any of this," Landen suddenly spoke from behind her.

"Ah," Lynn said, whipping her head around to face a deep-in-thought Landen standing behind her. He could be really stealthy sometimes, and it bugged her.

"I mean, just because you think he's Salmarian too, doesn't mean you have to drag him into this Eldridge Journal business," he continued, sitting next to her.

"Well, the thief said his client wanted information from my journal…"

"All the merchant knows is that you are a scholar, an apprentice from Dellour, and have a notebook full of potions and recipes. He probably just wanted to steal it to make recipes to sell in that marketplace. Case closed," he said, clapping his hands together.

Lynn was silent as she considered the possibility. It was making an awful lot of sense.

"Now stop fretting so much about this Salmari business," Landen said, patting her on the back.

"No, no," Lynn said, her brow furrowing. "I'm pretty sure I'd heard the name in connection to something else before…," she said, turning to the first few pages of the journal, and flipping through the pages one by one.

"I'm _sure_ it's in there," Landen said, rolling his eyes. "Your father was a well-learned man, I bet. If he's anything like you, he's probably already got notes on every single medicinal plant in the plains, lakes, and mountains of Salmari."

"Salmari's mostly deserts, with a mountain range to the northeast, geographically separating it partially from us middle earth countries. I mean, the only thing I remember writing in here about Salmari is the lutes, which is what reminded me of Colton," she said automatically and absent-mindedly, still flipping through the pages. "I don't think there'd be much variety of plants to speak of in a place like tha-," she said, suddenly stopping herself mid-sentence and staring into the distance, brow furrowing even deeper.

Landen watched her, his expression becoming more and more quizzical.

"Of course! I remember now!" she suddenly said, suddenly turning a large chunk of notebook to more recent pages, with her handwriting on it.

"What? What is it?" Landen inquired, surprised at her sudden outburst of energy.

"Plants," she said excitedly. "It was in a scroll on plants that I copied last week. Of course that kind of information wouldn't appear on the atlas that Kipp and I looked at earlier. It's one of the minor and easily-forgotten details, often skimmed over in voluminous textbooks, that nags at the back of your mind, unless you took note of where you'd read it."

"Uh-huh," Landen said, nodding. "And of course, you being you-,"

"Of course, me being me, I wrote it down. I write everything down," she said, stopping at a page and running her finger down it. "And here it is!" she said, stopping at a small sketch, among other sketches, of a plant, intricately shaded, next to a wall of her script text.

"Mm-hm," Landen said, nodding. "And of course, your handwriting being your handwriting-,"

"Oh shush, I can understand my own handwriting, of course," Lynn said, blushing slightly. "It's a desert cactus that lives for years before it starts to bloom. Then it dies soon afterward."

"And this is important… why?" Landen said, tilting his head to the side.

"Because according to the source I copied from, it grew in Salmari!" she said.

Landen tilted his head to the other side. "And this is important… why?"

"Because of its nature, it was a rarity. Not many scholars had the opportunity to study its properties. But my parents were able to do research on it, before I was born. They probably got their samples from Salmari," she said, flipping back to the front of the journal.

"There it is," she said, finding her father's part of the journal. A larger illustration of the plant occupied a whole page, with her father's elegant large rounded handwriting opposite it. "A working journal of their research on the plant.

"Look, see, here it starts:

_Month XX Day XX Year XXXX_

_An old friend of mine, fresh from his travels, dropped by yesterday. It's always a pleasure to meet people you used to study with. He's grown much thinner since I last saw him, as well as darker, and a bit busher, I think, but definitely happier. Oh, such are the joys of a bachelor, I suppose. But I cannot complain. All is well with my love and I. With a child 2 months on the way, I cannot complain about my own life._

_He told me of a flower he learned about from the natives, out in the deserts to the west. The Blue Queen of the desert, shown him by their caravan guide. An interesting plant, a cactus, specifically, which lives from anywhere between 5-50 years before it blooms its beautiful blue flowers - imagine that, flowers! In the middle of the desert! I'd never heard of such a thing - and then, in a few days, withers and dies. But imagine, he was able to see it flowering! When their caravan stopped by a small oasis encampment of desert folk, they were shown the Blue Queen, nearby. It had been there 10 years, and it bloomed, just as they passed! He is indeed one lucky fellow._

_He brought me back samples, and indeed, it is more beautiful than I imagined from his tale. He said there was a legend to it, and that he would tell it to me some other time, as he would have to leave soon, for another land, and another set of tales. But the sneaky old fox whispered that it was rumored to have magical healing properties._

_He certainly caught my interest, and so has the beautiful blue bloom. He brought me several flowers, and a few buds. I only wonder how he was able to acquire so many, that sneaky bastard. But I certainly think it is a good subject for study. My love and I will begin work on it soon._

_Verdant Eldridge_"

Lynn took a deep breath as she looked away from the page.

"Wow. Your dad sure could write," Landen said, giving a low whistle.

"Yeah," she said, her voice suddenly shaky. An involuntary sob broke from her mouth as memories of her home and family suddenly surfaced.

Landen was silent, leaning forward on his knees. He suddenly slapped his thigh. "Darn, I almost forgot what I came up here to call you for."

Lynn blinked back tears as she looked up at Landen, who had stood up in front of her.

"You said you'd be back in time for dinner," he said, a hand on his waist. "Well, it's time for dinner, and you weren't back yet. So let's go."

Trying to lighten the situation, Lynn said the first thing that came to mind as she ran her hand down her face. "Are you asking me… to dinner?"

Landen blinked at her a few times, then laughed out loud. "Sure. Sure I am."

-.-.-

((Hehe, read about that kind of plant in a Ripley's section of the newspaper. Forgot the name, though… Queen of something. Anyway, that kind of plant is a monocarpic plant, flowering once before dying.))


	13. News People Bring

13

News People Bring

-.-.-

"So what does a stupid cactus have to do with anything?" Kipp said, over a turkey leg.

"Not a stupid cactus, stupid-head," Lynn said impatiently, as she averted her eyes from the jester's masticating open mouth. "The Blue Queen of the desert. It grows in the deserts of Salmari. And I already told you, my father was studying about it."

"Alright, so your dad knew some Queen cactus from Salmari. What's the big deal? You're getting all paranoid about it. Don't think too much. Your little squire brain can't handle that much conjecture," he said, continuing to chew loudly.

"Well, my bright squire eyes can't quite handle your big jester mouth, at any rate," she said, rolling her eyes. "It might have just been a coincidence. It probably doesn't really mean anything. People immigrate all the time nowadays."

"I agree with Lynn on that," Landen said, thoughtfully.

"There, see, that's what I-," Lynn began.

"Yes, my squire eyes can't handle your chewing either, Jester," he said, in a matter-of-fact tone and a straight face.

"Ugh," Lynn scoffed, taking a swig of pumpkin juice. "Idiots."

"So anyway," Kipp said, gulping down his share of pumpkin juice. "Earlier this afternoon, if you remember, the royal family had visitors from the Dukedom," he said, looking at Lynn as he talked. "Though it was just the Duke himself, his chamberlain, and their old healer. Not a very exciting bunch to watch; requested that old man's ballad 'Way of Mine,'" he said, shivering at the thought.

Amber suddenly spoke up behind them. She had the strange ability of popping up when gossip was abound. "I heard they're here to repay the kindness of the princess's visiting party last week. They're ever so grateful to the help you gave to the little mistress of the mansion, Lynn," she said, putting a hand on Lynn's shoulder.

Lynn nodded slightly. "Yes, very nice."

"They're staying the night, apparently," Amber continued. "The coachman was complaining how the little mistress had wanted to go ever so badly, and they had to delay their departure until she was securely asleep in her quarters. They're off to visit the next town over from here, on business, tomorrow at the break of down."

"Wonderful," Lynn said, holding back a yawn. "A bunch of old men. A notch better than our boys down here," she said, staring off into the distance, trying to imagine how the princess could possibly be entertaining them.

-.-.-

"Stop rushing me," Lynn said, stifling another yawn, as Landen half-dragged, and half-hauled her down the castle corridor, lit at intervals by torches burning in brackets in the wall. "I can walk by myself."

"Yeah, mind doing it sometime?" Landen said, walking at a brisk pace, yanking on her arm. "We were sent for 15 minutes ago. Does it really take that long for a girl to dress up?"

"Oh shut up, I was asleep when you rudely came barging into my quarters," she said, wiping away tears from her eyes. "I think that delay is forgivable. Besides, it's your patrol duty tonight, so why the deuce should I be awake and fully-dressed again, exactly? I heard no castle alarm."

"It's alarm enough to be called on by the royal family we have guests in the castle."

"Darned nobles," Lynn said, nearly spitting out the words. "Staying up and chatting and partying all night long, and bothering the squires while they're at it. They do know the reason it becomes dark at night, right? For everyone to go to sleep."

Landen abruptly whipped around to face her. She nearly tumbled into him in the darkness of the corridor.

"The guests are leaving in the morning, so just put up with it for tonight, alright, Lynn?" he said, a little fiercer than normal.

"Alright," she said, looking away. "Sorry."

"That's better," he said, suddenly smiling. "Now wipe that drool off your face. We're going in," he said, leading her to the door to the parlor.

"Hey, wait, give me a sec-," she said, abruptly wiping her cheek on her sleeve as he shoved her through the doorway.

A scene of utter nobility greeted them, the parlor well-decorated as usual; flowers from Amber's garden, tapestries imported from the southeast, and the guests from the Dukedom, all strewn about the room. Lynn stood there, sleeve halfway to and halfway from wiping her cheek, next to Landen, who calmly put her hand down at her side.

"Squires Landen and Lynn, summoned to your company. We apologize for the slight delay," Landen said, saluting.

"Thank you, squires," the King said, bowing his head just enough that a king should bow, acknowledging their presence.

"Wonderful, dear squires, wonderful," the Duke said, standing up and walking over to them. He was slightly red-faced and slightly more cheerful than Lynn remembered. "Indeed, it is the noble squire who helped my dear daughter. How can I repay you, young lad?"

"Actually, I-," Lynn started, when the Duke started shaking her hand.

"You're rather skinny to be a squire, young lad. Are you sure you're eating enough? Maybe you should be employed in my mansion instead, then you'd-,"

"No, your eminence," his chamberlain came up and collected the Duke. "I think you've had quite enough wine to drink tonight," he said, turning the Duke away from Lynn.

"Yes, I quite agree with your old friend, dear Duke," the Doctor said, standing up from his seat. "I believe we've all stayed up late enough; and though it's extremely admirable reuniting these two wonderful and noble brothers, it is time to retire to our chambers for the night, if you do agree."

"Thank you, kind healer," the Queen said, smiling briefly. "I guess it takes a professional like you to convince these silly old men to go to bed. Dear?" she said, turning to her husband.

"Quite so," the king said, standing up. He motioned to one of the servants standing in a corner. "We're done here for the night. Please escort our visitors to their rooms, they have a trip to make tomorrow. Dear brother," he said, walking over to the Duke, "I do hope you enjoy your stay for tonight. It's been such a long time… It's a pity you have to leave before breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Ah, don't worry about me," the Duke said, still leaning on his chamberlain. "And I'll make sure to stop by longer next time. Good night," he said, walking unsteadily away, led by a maidservant.

The King and Queen made their bows as they exited by another door. The princess, blinking back a yawn, followed suit, but not before sidling up to Landen and smiling a "good night" at him. Lynn cringed.

Pretty soon, Lynn and Landen were left alone in the room with the old healer.

"Well now, it didn't take too long to get them to leave, now did it?"

"Er, no sir…?" Lynn said, not sure what to reply.

"Such an admirable family. Quite the royal triplet, I must say. And their range of conversation, extremely exquisite. Quite the entertainment, too, that jester of yours. Admirable, indeed. Quite admirable," he said, stroking his chin.

"Indeed, sir," Lynn and Landen said, almost simultaneously.

"Oh, that's right," he said suddenly, snapping out of his daze. "I haven't asked your name yet, oh healer's-apprentice-girl-squire," he said, turning towards Lynn.

"Er, no, sir," Lynn said, suddenly uncomfortable under his gaze again. Landen elbowed her and she mouthed "ow" at him. He mouthed "answer" back at her.

The healer cleared his throat and held his hand out to her. "Might I know your name, then?"

"My name is Lynn, sir," she said, gulping.

"Ah, exquisite. Quite an interesting name. A last name, perhaps?" he said, smiling.

"Er," Lynn hesitated. _This man knew my father. I'm not quite comfortable with letting him know just who I am…_

"Her name is Lynn Eldridge, sir," Landen suddenly interjected. "Daughter of Verdant Eldridge, prominent healer of Dellour, sir."

"Landen!" Lynn gave him a glare that could kill.

"Lynn Eldridge! Verdant Eldridge!" he said, clapping his hands together loudly. "I knew that prominent brow and unusual technique of yours seemed familiar back then. I only wish I'd found out sooner. Listen, lass," he said, stepping closer. "I was a good friend of your father's. Why, I knew you when you were but a little girl, running around your father's laboratory. Oh, how much you've grown. He would have been proud of you," he said, smiling a kindly old smile.

Lynn smiled back, weakly.

"Dellour lost a great healer, when your father died three years ago," he said, his voice suddenly becoming serious.

Lynn bowed her head, blinking back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"It lost two, when you left," the old healer said, lifting Lynn's chin up. She looked back at him with watery eyes. "Child of Eldridge, Dellour has missed you," he said, smiling the kindly smile again.

At the word 'child,' Lynn's defenses broke down. She broke out into a frantic sob, suddenly missing her hometown very, very much.

Memories of her house came back; her room, filled with books, drawings, and contraptions; her mother, hovering over her as she played; her mother, dying in her sickbed while she was too young to understand; her father, tall, calm, and wise, teaching her his trade; her father, sick and frail, and whispering his last words…

_Wasn't it easier back then, when I was smaller. There was always a bigger shoulder to cry into._

And suddenly, there was a bigger shoulder in front of her, broad and strong, and pulling her into it. She started crying hysterically, years of pent-up sadness gushing out all at once, as she put her arms around him and cried and cried.

"I couldn't-," she sobbed, trying to repeat what she had explained to Sir Galadore and the others, back in the manor's study, but she couldn't form the words properly now, her voice coming in hics and sniffs and sobs. "I couldn't - sniff - even heal him! - sob hic - after all he taught me-," and her voice was lost in her cry.

For what seemed forever, her tears flowed, until her eyes stung and her voice was hoarse. Then she realized that she was still in the parlor, as the memories and images of Dellour disappeared from her vision. She panicked and tried to gather herself, ashamed that she had let loose in front of the castle visitor…

…The older healer, who was standing at a distance now and smiling at her. Then her face went flush as she realized that she had been crying into Landen all this time.

"I'm sorry, I-," she said, her voice shaking. "I don't know what came over me. I-, I can explain, I mean, I-," she said, looking all around the room and fidgeting as she pulled away from him. Landen reached for her, but she pulled away even farther, edging around the furniture.

"Lynn Eldridge, come here and sit for a while," the older healer said kindly, motioning to a couple of chairs next to each other.

Lynn gladly obeyed, putting distance between her and Landen.

"And you, young lad, thank you," he said to Landen. "But could you leave us to talk for a moment? I believe she's in a more conversant mood now that she's let out her feelings."

"Of course," Landen said, obediently leaving the room.

"Don't be so flustered, Lynn," he said, chuckling amusedly. "You really have become a fine lady in the time that you've been gone."

"What-, what do you want to talk about?" she said, unable to focus.

"Now, you do know that I have to leave early in the morning, so I'll make this short," he said.

"Okay," Lynn said, curious.

"I have requested the King that you join us tomorrow when we leave for our trip," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"What? Why?" Lynn asked, tilting her head.

"Because, Child," he said, taking a deep breath. "We're going to bring you back to Dellour."


	14. Bells People Ring

14

(Oh my, 14 chapters already! I really enjoyed writing the last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed reading it too! I'm trying to thicken the story, I hope it's not too confusing with all the backstory going around. Please review and comment on whatever you want to comment on. Thanks!)

(BTW, in this chapter is the first you'll hear of Landen's last name, and his father. Oh my more backstory!)

-.-.-

Bells People Ring

"B-bringing me-," Lynn said, stunned, staring blankly into the old healer's eyes. "Back to Dellour? But, why?"

"Child," he said, his voice kind and slow. "You have been away for far too long. It's time to go home. Don't you want to see your hometown after all these years?"

"Home," Lynn said, her expression changing as she recalled memories of her past. "Ha- Has it changed much?"

"Very much so, dear little Lynn," the healer said, nodding slowly, turning away from Lynn and walking over to the wall, suddenly interested in a hanging tapestry. "It has grown much, within three years. Young people from all over the kingdom have come to Dellour to study the art of healing, just as your father had practiced it there. It has changed much, thanks to your father's work. I am sure you would be excited to see it; There are a lot of new people who I'm sure are eager to meet you, as well," he said, his profile facing her.

"I would love to see it," she said, slowly breaking into a smile. "I want to see it. I want to go home!" she said, her voice full of conviction.

"Of course you would, Child," he said, turning to face her fully. "I believe it would be best if you go back to your quarters and prepare for the trip."

"Absolutely, sir," she said. She turned to leave, but, overcome by gratitude, ran up to the old healer and embraced him. "Thank you, sir," she said, before turning to run out of the room, completely ignoring a stunned Landen.

"Wait," Landen's voice suddenly broke through his stupor. "The King has consented to this?"

"Yes, I believe I've told you that already. We have the King's full permission for this trip."

"And you are bringing her back afterwards?" Landen said, in more of a statement than a question.

The old healer laughed. "I find that very unlikely, my boy. By my reasoning, she'll probably never return to this castle again."

"You can't do that," Landen said, angry now. "You can't take Lynn away from the castle!"

"Oh no," the healer said, shaking his head, smirking. "I'm taking her home. Where she belongs. I'm sure you understand, knight boy. She does not belong in Kippernia. _And neither do you_,"he said, his voice changing at his last sentence.

"What?" Landen hissed, puzzled.

"Your father is a knight of the Kippernian army, am I right?"

"He was a ranking officer," Landen said, his brow darkening. "Lieutenant Aldrich Winthrop. He's served on the defense on the northern borders of Kippernia for 19 years."

"Oh, but I guess you don't know about what he was doing _before _that," the old healer said, a gleam in his eye.

"Before tha-," Landen said, thinking deeply. He fell silent. He knew that his father had started serving in the Kippernian army at the same time he was born, but nothing of the time before that.

"I don't suppose you know-," the old healer said, walking closer with deliberate steps, "about the great dragon rider, Aldread, soldier of the Southern Empire."

"What _about_ that Imperial dragon rider?" he said, spitting out his words. He recalled the stories of the Southern Kippernian war. The similarity of the names unsettled him; he'd never noticed that before.

"He figured in the Southern Kippernian war, but of course you know that, being born and raised here," the old healer said, walking past Landen to admire another tapestry hanging on the wall. "His dragon was supposedly an offspring of the great Kippernian Dragon, who disappeared 100 years ago. After a young Aldread resurfaced in the Southern Empire 20 years ago with that young-blood dragon, the Imperial Army recruited him at once, and began their attack on the southern plains of Kippernia. The empire would've won, too, after nearly a year of fighting, if Aldread hadn't disappeared at the height of the conflict, together with his dragon."

"Yes, yes, I know my elementary school history," Landen said. "What does my father have to do with this?"

"You may know this from your history lessons," the old healer said, turning back to Landen, his eyes suddenly fierce. "But I know this because _I was there_. As a doctor in the war."

Landen gave a little gasp.

"A day after Aldread and his dragon disappeared, almost a year after the war started, an unlikely couple turned up at my tent in the Kippernian army camp. Aldread and a pregnant Kippernian girl. You can only imagine how surprised I was. She was giving birth. That was 19 years ago if I'm not mistaken," he said, pulling out a small piece of parchment.

Landen stayed silent, an unsettling feeling gathering in his throat.

"Tell me, boy," the old healer said, surveying him and the parchment at the same time. "When is your birthday?"

"On the 17th of the first month," Landen said, growing increasingly worried.

"Boy," he said, smirking widely. "You were the boy I delivered 19 years ago."

"No, no way," Landen said, taken aback. He took an involuntary step backward. "My father-"

"Your father was an enemy of this kingdom. Now, he is an imperial traitor. Do you understand what that makes you? An illegitimate son of an illegitimate knight. Right now, this is proof of your birth on that day, to that couple," he said, pointing to the parchment he held, "and is all I need to strip you and your father of your rights here in Kippernia and exile you to the Southern Empire, where your father will probably be punished severely, as a traitor to the emperor's trust."

Landen was shocked, to say the least. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, each of them ending with-

"Lynn," he said, finally gathering himself. "What does this have to do with Lynn?"

The old man chuckled. "I never thought I'd need to use this information, until I ran into the two of you in the Duke's manor. In one fellswoop I found the daughter of an old friend, and the son of a current enemy," he said, walking towards Landen and staring him in the eyes. "I'm taking Lynn back with me, and if you try to follow us tomorrow, or if anything happens to me tonight, a report goes straight to the King about your traitorous father and his bastard son. Do we have a deal?" he said, holding out a pudgy hand.

Landen let out a deep breath, trying to keep his mind from reeling. He groaned to himself and glared at the old man. "You bastard," he said, taking the hand reluctantly and giving it a single shake.

"Oh, but look who's talking."

-.-.-

Landen stood around, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other, as the final preparations were being made. He yawned, having not had much sleep the previous night, what with the late night summons and the worrying about what that old healer had said. He rubbed his eyes and watched the carriage being loaded, and the nobles making their goodbyes. In the first carriage, the Duke's carriage, pulled by two white stallions, would ride the chamberlain and the Duke, with their luggage. The second carriage would carry the old healer, and Lynn, pulled by one brown mare and one black stallion.

Off to the side, Lynn came out of a castle side-entrance, carrying a large knapsack, which, he estimated, was filled with all her remaining possessions. He noticed a small bundle in her arms, which probably contained her notebook and scribe's pen case. She was smiling brightly, and he couldn't help but smile for a second, before realizing this might be the last time he would see her.

Kipp came with bounding strides over to his side, from where he had been helping bid farewell to the guests. Lynn had tried to kick his shin, presumably after some sarcastic remark about her departure, but resigned herself to sticking her tongue out at his back as he walked away. Her gaze fell on Landen, standing in the shadows of the courtyard as he was, next to Kipp's towering figure. Her wide smile disappeared and a slow red flush came over her cheeks.

"You should probably go talk to her," he said, in a serious voice quite unlike the jester's usual self.

"I don't want to make it any harder for either of us," Landen said, his voice filled with sadness. He waved to Lynn from his distance, trying his best to smile, as Lynn slowly waved back before turning away.

"It'll only get harder if you don't say goodbye now," Kipp said, suddenly agitated, grabbing his arm and dragging him over to the carriage.

Kipp loudly cleared his throat, pushing Landen right behind Lynn, before bounding off again in the other direction.

"Why that-," Landen said, straightening himself out.

"Landen," Lynn suddenly spoke up, standing in front of him. She was looking off to the side, and fiddled with her thumbs. "I- I'm leaving."

"I can see that," he said, trying to control his voice.

An awkward moment passed between them as they stood silent like that.

"Well, take care on your trip," he said, holding out his hand.

"I will," she said, slowly taking his hand with both of her hands and holding on to it tightly.

Another awkward moment passed.

"I guess I should board the carriage now," Lynn said, in a very soft and shaky voice. "It's a long way home from here."

"Yeah," Landen said, letting go of her hand.

"…," Lynn hesitated before letting go. "I wish you could accompany us, too," she said, blushing. "But-"

"I understand, Lynn," he said, smiling. "This is your journey now. And besides I-," he said, biting his lip. "have other things to take care of."

"Goodbye, Landen," she said, finally turning away, her shoulders sagging.

"Bye," Landen said, waving after her. "Lynn."

The carriages left the courtyard, the fine horses clomp-clomping down the wooden bridge and out into the world. Landen and Kipp watched from their seats on the parapets as they headed towards the main thoroughfare. Behind them, the castle was as it normally was, Colton's rhythmic hammering audible throughout the castle.

"I can't believe it," Kipp said, shaking his head. "No wonder she didn't even say when she was coming back."

"You idiot," Landen said, punching him playfully. "She's going home. D'you think she'd come back to a dump like this?"

"And you didn't try to stop her?" Kipp asked, slightly surprised.

"I- couldn't," he said, gritting his teeth. "And like I said, I have other things to take care of," he said, standing up and getting off the parapet back onto the castle wall.

"I'm going to miss her," Kipp said, sighing deeply.

"Me too, Kipp," Landen said, turning away from him and walking purposefully down into the courtyard, hailing Colton from his forge. "Me too."

-.-.-


	15. Roads People Walk

-.-.-

15

**Roads People Walk**

-.-.-

"And where do you think you're going, Landen?" Kipp asked, walking with large strides to follow Landen, who was already at Colton's side as they walked to the stables. "Hey, wait up. What are you calling Colton for?"

Landen looked over his shoulder, not breaking stride. "To get a horse, of course."

"A horse?" Kipp asked, slowing down, brow knitted in wonder. "What the deuce do you need a horse for?"

"To ride, idiot," he said, laughing as the two entered the stables, leaving the confused jester outside.

"To ride…" Kipp said into the dark stables. "What the deuce do you need to ride for?"

The two came out again with a saddled horse and a knapsack with things for travelling. Landen jumped onto the horse, buckled on the knapsack, and rearing the horse up, answered Kipp curtly.

"I'm riding for Lynn," he said, before digging his heels into the sides of the chestnut stallion and went thundering out of the courtyard.

Kipp stood in amazement as Colton went back nonchalantly to his work and Landen rode off, the white Northern mountains visible in the background.

"For Lynn?" he asked, staring at his quickly shrinking figure on the dirt trail. "But Lynn went that way," he said, pointing towards the rising sun. "What the deuce is he going north for?"

"You'll see," Colton suddenly said, lifting his hammer up onto his shoulder and looking seriously at Kipp. "You'll see."

-.-.-

"Home…" Lynn muttered, watching the scenery move past the window. Her knapsack at her feet, the journal on her lap, and her mind floating far away, she sighed, feelings of longing almost tangible in her breath.

"Yes, Little Lynn," the old healer said, from across the carriage. "We're bringing you home," he said, a kindly old smile on his face; There was no trace of the sinister man that had threatened Landen to stay away.

"I never realized that it was just two days away by carriage. It never occurred to me to try to go back. I could have gone home earlier," she said, getting more and more excited.

"Well, yes, but only because we have the Duke's magnificent horses to pull us; No other horses could make the journey as fast," the doctor said with some degree of pride in his voice.

"It's amazing. We've passed two towns already, and it's just approaching sundown."

"We'll be stopping at the next town, as planned. It has a wonderful inn that we've reserved for the night, in honor of his eminence, the Duke. I'm sure we'll all rest comfortably tonight after a long day of travelling."

Lynn nodded at him, and then turned her gaze out the window again. Earlier, Kippernian castle had been a smudge, then a dot, then a speck on the horizon; now, it wasn't even visible anymore. Then sun was gracefully sinking lower in the sky, landing, - as she estimated, - at the spot the castle should be. It would set in the same place between the parapets, at the end of a long day of sparring, or archery training, or fooling around with Kipp, or spending her time with Landen…

Another long sigh from Lynn called the attention of their other companion in the carriage. "Must you sigh like that?" he suddenly asked, sharply.

"Kurt! Mind your manners with our guest," the old healer said, in an exasperated tone which he seemed to be quite familiar using.

"I'm sorry, Master," he said, suddenly changing his tone. "I'm just… concerned, with all the sighing and whatnot since we left this morning."

"It's not gentlemanly to pry into another's private matters, pupil. It's best you let her be. This is her first time to go home to Dellour in a long time," he said to his young apprentice.

"Oh right, the prodigal daughter who left Dellour three years ago. A very touching story indee-," he quipped.

"That's quite enough, Kurt," his master said in a sharp tone. "Don't offend our guest."

"No no, I'm not offended," Lynn said, almost apologetically. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Kurt," she said, smiling at the boy. In any other situation, she would've had a lengthy word joust with him, just like she used to have all the time with Kipp… The memories nearly pulled up another deep sigh from her, but she just gulped and leaned back against the window. "I'm sorry," she repeated, looking out the window.

-.-.-

Just as the last ray of light disappeared from the sky, lights appeared on the horizon, indicating the presence of the next town.

"Ah, just as scheduled," the healer said, sticking his head out of the window. "Wonderful little village, here we come."

Kurt yawned and stretched out beside Lynn. "About time I get out of this stinking carriage," he muttered under his breath, stealing a glance at his master in case he had heard it. No reaction. Good.

The carriage slowed to a halt a few minutes later. Lanterns and candles could be seen darting about outside, as the village inhabitants made ready for the notable travelers.

"Good evening," the healer greeted the people around him as he stepped down from the carriage. At the other carriage, the Duke, too, was disembarking his own carriage. Bags were handed from hand to hand and people ushered in from usher to usher towards the inn, a squat two-story building which had been lit up with smokeless torches and candles all about. He followed the Duke into the inn, disappearing into the ball of light.

Lynn was still somewhere between a daze and a dream when Kurt shook her awake.

"Get up already," he said impatiently, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the carriage awkwardly.

She managed to land on both feet, and threw an evil glance at Kurt as she managed to stand up straight. He was a short boy, a few inches short of her, although she guessed they were around the same age.

An inn hand came up to them, a little boy with a gap in his teeth when he smiled, and beamed brightly. "May I help you with your bags, kind gentlemen?"

Kurt snickered beside her, and Lynn felt her anger bubble beneath her face, turning it some shade of pink. Although she was used to being mistaken as a boy, having a complete stranger laugh at it was irritating.

"If you'll excuse me for a second," she said, controlling her voice and pushing roughly past Kurt and to the back of the carriage, where the bags where kept.

Kurt came up beside her and helped her unload, still snickering. "It's not his fault, you know. With that shapeless figure of yours, you should be glad if - oof!" as he got hit in the side of the head with a rather large knapsack.

"Oops, sorry. It's not my fault that I didn't see you there, shorty. Although with that huge head of yours, you should be glad I didn't knock it clean off," Lynn answered, handing the bags to the beaming boy, before following him into the inn, leaving Kurt out next to the empty carriage, rubbing the side of his head.

-.-.-

"Sir Galadore! Sir Galadore!" a high-pitched lady's voice came echoing through the courtyard late that night, followed by little tiny footsteps and more tiny footsteps of other ladies following. "Sir Galadore! Sir Galadore!" it continued to call.

Sir Galadore came out of his Knight's quarters in gear, apparently ready for night patrol. From where the Knight's quarters were positioned hanging above the courtyard, he looked down to investigate the source of the voice.

"Ah, princess," he said, spotting the pink chiffony figure in the middle of the sawdust, kicking it off her ridiculous shoes. He hurried down into the courtyard. "What brings you out here this time of the night? You should have just sent for me if-,"

"Sir Galadore, Landen's left the castle!" she squealed at him. "The jester told me so."

More footsteps came bounding into the courtyard. "Princess, wait, I was just kidding! It's not true, I-," Kipp came shouting, then froze as soon as he saw the Knight Master.

"Jester," Galadore said, turning his head slowly to face Kipp. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Well, first of all, I have a name, okay? It's Kipp. Not Jester. Kipp," he said, counting off a finger. "Second of all, I have no idea what she's talking about," he said, waving his hands around furiously.

"You do too! I heard you mumbling to yourself earlier in the antechamber. Landen has left the castle, hasn't he? Hasn't he?"

Galadore intervened. "Princess, it was Lynn who left early this morning, together with the Duke, remember. They're headed east to Dellour as we speak."

"Kipp just said Landen was heading north," the princess continued, recalling the jester's mumblings earlier that night. "Did you know about this, Sir Galadore?"

"I most certainly did not, your highness," he said, his brows furrowing. "But don't worry, I will get to the bottom of this. If he does not return by midday tomorrow, I will set out a search party for him. In the meantime, please go back to bed, milady. It's quite late," he said, his voice softening.

"Thank you, Sir," the princess said, quite deflated and tired from her little expedition into the courtyard. Her ladies-in-waiting ushered her back into the palace, chittering-chattering all the while.

"As for you, jester," Galadore said, turning towards Kipp again, who was trying to tiptoe into the kitchen. "I need to have a word with you. In the knight's study."

-.-.-

Landen set up camp a dozen yards into the forest at the side of the trail. Tying his horse's reins loosely to a fallen branch, he gave it water to drink, then patted its sides down. A reliable, steady horse, though not as fast as the others.

Overhead, the thinning canopy rustled in the wind, occasionally revealing the white mess of stars in the night sky. A day's ride away from the castle and the stars didn't change, he thought to himself. I've got a long way to go still.

A cold breeze picked up around him, making the trees quiver and his horse whinny in fright. He drew a couple of sheets from his knapsack and threw one over the horse as it lay down next to the small fire he had made. Putting the other sheet around himself, he lay down in the grass, thinking silently about what the healer had told him, and how it had made sense.

_My father, a Kippernian Lieutenant, was the Dragon Rider of the Imperial Army? Aldrich Winthrop, and Aldread the Rider, the same person? But what the old fart said all added up. It's all possible…_

Landen shuddered at the wind, and the thought of all the possibilities. The healer's words stuck in his brain. _Illegitimate son of an illegitimate soldier_. What a shameful thing to be. No. He would go north, find his father, and settle this matter with him, once and for all.

No more secrets, and no more hiding.


	16. When People Talk

-.-.-

16

**When People Talk**

-.-.-

"So what's the deal with you and Master, huh?" Kurt suddenly asked, over breakfast at the inn.

"Huh?" Lynn said, annoyed at being annoyed so early in the morning. "What do you mean 'what's the deal'?"

"Why are you coming along with us, huh?" he continued asking. "I mean, Master's already got an apprentice, and that's me. What's the deal with you and Master?"

"Nothing's the deal with your master," she said, putting her spoon down on her plate. "He's just bringing me back to Dellour, that's all."

"Right," he said, rolling his eyes. "As if a trip halfway across the continent could come for free. What does Master get in return?"

"What? What do you mean 'what does Master get in return'?"

"Boy, you sure are slow at comprehending questions. Do I have to repeat everything for you?" Kurt said, leaning back from the table. "What did you offer Master for him to bring you halfway across the continent?"

"I did not offer him anything," Lynn said, slamming her hand palm-down on the table. "He offered me a ride home, I took it. That's all. Is that so hard to understand?"

"What do you mean 'is that so hard to understand'?" Kurt said, in a mocking, high-pitched voice. "Of course it's hard to understand. You don't get a ride home to Dellour with my Master just like that. He's a coin-pinching cold-hearted old geezer, that's what. My parents had to promise him an extra month of apprenticeship money just so that he'd pick me for this trip out of Dellour. He doesn't just give free rides to anyone he picks up along the way."

Lynn's mouth hung open. This was the kindly old healer who offered her a ride home? The kindly old healer at the Duke's manor, the kindly old healer who had known her father? A 'coin-pinching old geezer'?

"W-what-," she stuttered, speechless.

"And don't 'what do you mean' me," Kurt said, irritation evident in his voice. "You don't know Master like his students do. Sure he seems like a nice guy, but back in Dellour," he said, snickering, "he's got a reputation all of his own."

Lynn was about to ask "What do you mean 'a reputation all of his own," but decided against it. She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Tell me more about him," she said, wearing a look of determination.

-.-.-

That morning, Lynn found a sunny rock outside, just after dawn, and wrote down everything she remembered that Kurt had told her.

_Old Man Ellis, as Kurt calls him, is - was? - a friend of father's. He was one of the early healers from Dellour, more travelled than mother or father had ever been, thus his reputation is more well-known in the farther areas, such as the Dukedom and even out west in Salmari. Apparently, he boasts a lot of his accomplishments; such as his participation in the Southern war 19 years ago. Or rather, his support from the backlines. "Soldiers _participate _in the war. Stupid old geezer healers just _support_ from the back," or so Kurt said, correcting his Master's words behind his back. _

_But you can't help respecting the old guy. A life of travelling, research, teaching, - and money-making, as Kurt stresses all the time - and he'd earned himself a reputation as a healer, though differently from my dad. He was the brains, while dad was the heart and hands, or so I'd like to believe. Not saying that my dad wasn't just as smart; just not as.. boastful about his knowledge._

_He put up a school in Dellour, where he directs and sometimes teaches. This is one of his regular "research trips," where he sometimes brings students along - "like me" - Kurt says. We passed by half a dozen towns on our way here. "And all he's done is coddle the rich people in the mansions while I'm out in the marketplace doing errands, which would explain why I didn't see you back at the Duke's manor. Though I did hear about what you did for the Duke's daughter. Pretty impressive… for a girl healer," Kurt said. How nice of him... I think._

_They picked up the Duke while they were there, went to a few towns before stopping by Kippernia, their last stop before heading out to Dellour._

"_What's the Duke doing with you then?" I had asked._

"_Master convinced him to check out his school back at Dellour. I think it's a ploy to gain his favor, and wealth, eventually, if you know what I mean," Kurt said, rolling his eyes at me._

_Apparently, he's always going out to talk with the rich folk and asking them to support his school. But Kurt suspects the money's going somewhere else, "if I knew what he meant," while winking at me. Yeesh._

_Anyway, my perceptions of him have definitely changed after talking with Kurt, although I can't ask Old Man Ellis - I mean, renowned Healer Elysius Hawthorne - directly._

_Even though I've just arrived, I can't wait to go back home._

_I wonder what I should get for them when I get back. Maybe lyre strings for Colton, I could probably get a good bargain for those at the market; a book for Kipp, that is, if my favorite old bookshop is still there; some fruits and maybe seeds for Ambrosia's garden; and for Landen - well, I'll think of something._

_I wonder how everyone's doing; probably just fine. I mean, I was just a squire outsider _(she snorted a little at the rhyme she made); _I'm sure Sir Galadore and Landen have everything under control. A missing squire shouldn't be such a big deal._

-.-.-

"You mean to tell me both our knight squires are gone?" Sir Galadore nearly boomed, his voice rising uncomfortably in the small room that served as the knight's study. A wooden table stood between him and the equally towering figure of the adolescent jester; and, judging from the tone of his voice, was all that prevented him from lunging across and shaking the boy senseless.

"Whoa, technically, one squire and one squirette-," he trailed off as the Knight Master shot him an impatient look. "But look, Lynn had her leave, so it shouldn't be a big deal-,"

"And what of Squire Landen? What on earth is this- this- business of him going north?" Sir Galadore said, breathing heavily to calm himself.

"Well, Sir, I don't know much of that myself, you see," Kipp said, his tongue running as fast as his brain as he tried to stall the Knight. "I am not very familiar with the customs of the knights of the castle. I was simply assuming that he was going on a ride, or, er, patrol, or, well, something knightly, and so-,"

"Could he have known that-, no, no, impossible. I have never told him about that matter," the old knight started mumbling to himself, inaudibly to the ranting jester.

"- besides the fact that the horses are well-fed by our Colton, who, by the way, seems to have developed a sudden liking for music-,"

"Such a vile disobedience against his service to the King. And with our only other squire whisked away by the Duke and his healer on a journey to her hometown-," he said, pressing his fingers against his throbbing temples.

"The healer," Kipp suddenly said, snapping out of his ramblings. "The healer…"

Sir Galadore remained silent, slowly rubbing his forehead. He had been blocking out Kipp's nonsense-talk and was trying to sort things out.

"- probably the reason why he left! Sir Galadore! Are you listening?"

Kipp suddenly slammed both lanky hands on the wooden desk. Galadore was shaken from his deep thought. "What is it, jester?" he said, somewhat irately.

Ignoring the lack of use of his real name, he repeated "I bet it was that healer that told Landen something. He must have told him something the night before Lynn left. I remember Landen was saying that Lynn probably wouldn't return here, or something or other. He sounded mighty depressed, too. Probably something like Lynn didn't fancy him back-" his voice trailed off, and he became puzzled for a moment.

"But then," Kipp said, continuing. "Why would he ride north? Why not ride east, to chase Lynn down? Unless-," his brow only knotted further on his smooth features.

Galadore stared at the jester, then closed his eyes, not wanting to show the boy his expression. For his worst nightmare had just been realized.

"Unless it has nothing to do with Lynn," Galadore finished for him. "And indeed, it doesn't. It concerns something much graver than that."

"I guess… it's not a simple squire's quarrel, then," Kipp said, his figure shrinking slightly, afraid to hear the gravity of the answer.

"More like… Imperial treason," said Galadore. "With Landen at the heart of it."

-.-.-

Landen sneezed into his cloak. He hadn't yet appreciated how difficult travelling for days on horseback was, and hadn't felt the absence of a carriage any greater than he did now. He pulled his travelling cloak around him closer, afraid that he had caught a cold.

Never mind that, he thought. The next town was almost within sight, in the low afternoon sun, he could just make out the silhouettes of low houses and rising smoke just at the crest of the next hill.

"Not far now, Rosie," he said, patting the brown mare on the side of her neck. She had carried him steadily, and he was grateful that Colton had allowed him to sneak her out. The journey was far yet, and he would certainly be needing all the help he could get.


	17. People People Meet

(Hey there, sorry the previous two chapters were just updated recently. I've been thinking about making some minor revisions to some characters, but never mind that, I'll do it when the whole thing's done and I make a full edited 'manuscript.' The story takes a little detour to Dellour here as our characters all go their separate ways.)

-.-.-

17

**People People Meet**

-.-.-

He reached the small hamlet just as the sky started changing colors. Under a flaming orange twilight, he made his way to the inn, a simple two-storey affair with a small pub on the first floor. It was nearly empty, except for a couple of old men who appeared to be regulars, chatting with the bartender, sitting and drinking their mugs away.

With his mount secured outside, he entered the open single door and was noticed by the bartender right away.

"A traveler, eh? Well, come on in. I'll have someone bring the horse into the stables for yeh. So ye'll be staying the night, I s'pose?" the bartender said, talking, washing, and stacking the mugs on the shelves, all at the same time.

Landen merely smiled and nodded at the middle-aged port-bellied man behind the counter. He took of his cloak and folded it into the large knapsack with him, then sat down a couple of stools away from the other two men. He glanced at them, and they smiled back; they seemed to be decent folk.

"A hot stew and a mug of ale, if you have them," he said in a mild voice to the bartender, who nodded curtly and went off to the kitchen to prepare his food.

"You from Kippernia castle, young man?" one of the men asked, putting down his mug. His lean and chiseled face, handsome in an old way, and combed graying hair depicted years of a peaceful, quiet, working life.

"I- What makes you say that?" Landen asked, suddenly defensive.

The other man, stout and with a bushy beard laughed over his drink. "Nobody comes down from the north in clothes as light as that. And the crest on your knapsack is known by all citizens of Kippernia, 'course. Might wan'na get some proper gear before you get much further up, no?"

"He's right, you know," the thinner man said, nodding solemnly. "'Specially approaching autumn, too, you'd probably want some heavier clothes. It gets pretty harsh even as close as Rourkehill."

Landen was suddenly taken aback. He had not taught about that. He never stopped to realize that it would indeed become cold the farther up he went.

"How far up north are you headed, 'nyway?" the bearded stout man asked, raising his mug to his lips.

"Well," Landen said, trying to sound as calm as possible. "I was hoping to make it to the northern military border zone-,"

The stout man spurted out some of his drink as he seemed to comprehend what Landen said.

"The border?" the thinner man asked, his mug only halfway to his mouth, as he patted his companion's back, who was coughing, some drops still coming out of his mouth. "All the way to the border?"

The bartender reappeared behind the bar from the door to the kitchen with a plate in one hand and a bottle of ginger ale in the other. Setting down the food, he wiped his hands on a rag and asked "What's this about the border?"

At the sight of the food in front of him, Landen started to eat in silence. After several days of bread, cheese, and cold meat, a nice, hot meal like this got his appetite going again.

"This boy here's fancying riding to the North border in him britches and cloak and horse," the stout man said, finally clearing his throat. "What say you to that, eh?"

"Well now," the bartender said, still wiping his hands on the rag absent-mindedly. "Well now, I'm not one to stop a young lad's journey, but ye'll have to listen to our advice, young man."

Landen looked up from his food and looked at the three of them, all looking solemn all of a sudden.

"When yeh make it to Rourkehill, - and mind yeh, if yeh don't freeze to death in the winter frost first, the stout man interjected, - get yerself some proper gear - that's what we been told him, he interjected again - and supplies, of course. Pro'bably be good if yeh rested a while, see?" the bartender said, still wiping his hands on the rag.

Landen nodded solemnly, committing all of this to memory.

"Then yeh go find yerself a guide, or a caravan, or a companion or whatn't, 'fore yer try to git up that there Northern mountains," he said, nodding solemnly, his hands red from rubbing against the rough cloth. "Now what was the name of that bloke in Rourkehill-?"

"Thomas," the thinner man said, as the stout man seemed to struggle with his memory. "My nephew Thomas runs a stable up there. You can ask for help from him. Just tell him his uncle sent you to him."

"Yesr'm, that's the one. Yeh ask for Thomas at the first stables yeh see, it'll be the biggest one, see, and yeh git yerself some help climbing to the N'rthern Border zone."

"Thanks," Landen said, just finishing his meal. All this information was very helpful, but he couldn't find the strength to continue a conversation with these people. "And I really appreciate the advice. Here's payment, for the night's stay as well," he said, leaving money on the counter for the bartender to pick up.

"No problem, kiddo," the bartender said, cheerfully, folding the rag up and putting it away. Apparently, he'd realized that he'd nearly rubbed his hands raw with his enthusiasm at imparting information.

As he walked up to the rooms with his knapsack, he overheard snatches of their conversation.

"- not many as daring as that, travelling all ter way up North nowadays-,"

"- got ter admire that in folk-,"

And the rest was lost as he entered one of the few rooms in the inn, and was barely able to change clothes when he fell asleep, all of his things in a heap next to him on the bed.

-.-.-

Kipp stood dazed at the top of the battlements, after he'd released the messenger bird, long after it disappeared into the night, flying straight in the direction of the brightest star. The sunset had long since passed, and the castle was enveloped in darkness and feeble starlight.

"Is something wrong?" Colton suddenly asked, walking past behind him on the castle wall, carrying and empty bucket and a rag. "Is there something wrong with the messenger bird?" he repeated, when Kipp didn't initially respond.

"What, oh-," Kipp said, brought out of his reverie by the sudden talkativeness of the blacksmith, now that the courtyard was two people emptier. "No, it's fine. It's just, it's dark, and so-," he quickly made up.

"He's a well-trained carrier pigeon," Colton replied, in his most reassuring voice possible. "Night or day, rain or shine, he'll make it."

"But all the way to the northern defense border-," Kipp said, his voice trailing off.

"He'll make it," said Colton, walking away at his steady clomp-clomping pace, his dark figure disappearing into the rest of the castle. "I know he's a tough guy. If he's got something he needs to do, he'll get it done," he said, somewhat mysteriously.

Kipp was silent for a while. Looking up, he almost involuntarily muttered _Star bright, starlight, first star I see tonight_; he sighed. _Landen, I just wish you'd told us what you were planning._

-.-.-

Stars still swimming in front of her eyes, Lynn woke up with a start, disoriented by her strange surroundings. The room was rather large, with a door leading off into a private bath, which she could glimpse from where she lay on the wide four-poster bed with drapings of deep red with gold lining. She felt reluctant to climb out from under the enormously soft cushions which she apparently had overturned onto herself while asleep. She was usually restless asleep, if she had been exhausted in the day -

Then she remembered her journey the day past - the healer, Kurt, Dellour, the town square, the façade of the school, and lastly, the inn. Kurt had shown her around after Old Man Ellis went off to take care of some personal matters. He spoke in a bored off-hand sort of tone, greeting various people on the way who stared at Lynn out of curiosity, and he'd wave them away and continue giving her the tour. Dropping her off at the inn just after sunset, he seemed in a hurry to leave her; Hawthorne had reserved the most luxurious room for her that night.

And luxurious it was, indeed. She could hardly believe that this was the same inn of little Dellour that she left years ago. Business sure has been good, she thought to herself as she bathed and dressed.

A few short raps on the door followed by a bellboy's voice told her that she had a visitor that morning. Drying her hair, she walked over to open the door. But instead of the bellboy, who she glimpsed walking away, Kurt was standing there, dressed all in white, and wearing glasses. In contrast to the shabby Kurt she had travelled with, this was a shock to her, and she stood there confused for a few seconds.

"- start in 10 minutes, so let's go," the usual Kurt voice said, somewhat thinned by his new appearance. "Oi, did you hear me? Classes are about to start," he repeated in a louder voice.

"Oh, but I thought Ellis were going to show me the schoo-," asked Lynn.

"Exactly! Where else would classes be held? Sheesh, come on, Lynn," he groaned, glaring from behind his glasses. He seemed to be grumpier in the early morning. "And it's Sir or Professor Hawthorne around these parts, not Old Man Ellis. I've been told off too many times now for calling him that, and if people hear you say it too, they'll know it came from me."

They walked past the fountain in town square again, rebuilt, and more elaborate that she'd remembered as a child. The academy was just a few buildings from the church in the center of town, and it was immediately visible because of the way it stood much wider, a bit taller and more ornately, and the throngs of young people - also wearing the same white clothes as Kurt, apparently it was their uniform - entering the large arched doorway, rivaling the church's doors.

"Wow," whispered Lynn, as they walked into the entrance hall. The ceiling was way above their heads, and a large chandelier hung in the center of the rectangular hall. Though the entrance hall itself was only 10 strides across, several doors led off it, and a large staircase in one corner showed signs of more rooms ahead and above. "Everything's so new, they built this in just three years?" she asked. Along the walls, a few large portraits hung in ornate frames, all distinguished looking people; the one in the corner was painfully familiar to Lynn.

"Are you coming or not?" Kurt suddenly shouted from the stairs. As Lynn ran toward him, she could distinctly hear him mumbling in the echoing hall "- some country-folk -,"

She scowled at his back and stuck her tongue out. "Just because Dellour's a city now doesn't make Kippernia castle backlands-," she reasoned to herself.

The second floor was constructed much the same as the first floor, though the ceiling wasn't as high. Lynn didn't have time to look out the large window that looked out the front over the large front doors, because Kurt kept climbing the stairs and she had to climb two steps at a time to catch up.

The third floor revealed a long corridor, unlike the large central area of the first two floors. It was also much darker, with the absence of the large windows like downstairs. Candles burned in their brackets on the walls. Kurt walked straight down this corridor and knocked on the last door on the left, which, judging by its distance from the nearest door, was the largest one on this floor. He entered as Lynn hurried after him.

"- brought the girl, Sir Hawthorne," she heard him say as she stepped inside behind him.

"Yes, yes, why don't you please look after her for a while? I'll just finish this short meeting with the Duke," he said, smiling coldly. "I hope you don't mind, Lynn, Kurt?"

"No, sir," they both answered, chilled by the mood of the room. Lynn spotted the Duke, indeed, sitting in an armchair across a table from Old Man Ellis, in a high-backed chair of his own.

Shutting the door quietly, Kurt's expression changed immediately. He frowned at her.

"What, I have to take care of you today, too?" he said, his face sour, not hiding his disappointment.

"What, I have to spend all day with you today, too?" replied Lynn, mimicking his expression. It's not like she had asked for this.

"Never mind. If he asks it, then I guess- Oh no, we have to hurry," he said, as a loud bell rang through the building.

They rushed to a room on the second floor, where a professor seemed to have just entered and was just addressing the class. Twenty or so students in white all looked at the doorway as Kurt and Lynn stood there, panting.

"Well, good morning, Kurt, just in time as usual, I see," the professor said coolly, looking over at the two. "And your friend here would be-,"

"Lynn Eldridge, Sir," she said, bowing. "Sorry for the intrusion."

"Lynn Eldridge," the professor mumbled, nodding at her presence. "Yes, I have been told of your visit by the headmaster. Well then, why don't you have a seat in the extra desk at the back, class will begin."

Bowing again and thanking him, she walked to back, under the stares of the other students, while Kurt sat somewhere in the front, probably because he was so short, Lynn snickered to herself. Sitting at the back, she noticed how students were still stealing glances at her; she couldn't blame them, after all, she was the splitting image of her father, whose portrait hung in the lobby.


	18. Words People Eat

-.-.-

18

**Words People Eat**

-.-.-

Landen yawned. He was grateful for the night's rest he had at the inn, but that seemed so far behind him now, the smoke receding in the distance, disappearing behind the hills far behind him. The midday sun was clouded over, and a breeze blew through the sparse forest on either side of the path he was on. Far ahead he could spy the misty mountains somewhere in the distance, but couldn't tell any more through the haze.

"Rourkehill, Rourkehill," he muttered to himself as a crossroad slowly came into view at the top of the hill ahead. A lone wooden sign stood there, pointing out the names of the three roads that intersected. As Landen came nearer, he saw the beaten words on the rotten wood. The arrow pointing to where he came from pointed to Kippernia Castle; the name of the road to the east was unintelligible, "D"-something but he couldn't be sure. It seemed familiar though; the road straight up north read "Rourkehill, Northern Military Border." His heart skipped a beat. He was on the right track.

"Just a bit more then," he said, setting his horse on the northern road.

-.-.-

The afternoon sun beat over Dellour something fierce. Indoors, as the morning passed, Lynn couldn't help but look out at the bright sky, a stark contrast to the dark and cool classroom.

"Ooh boy, I'm glad to be out of that," Lynn said, stretching at the wide-open front doors of the Academy. The wind blew strong today, thankfully cooling the heads upon which the sun beat. Behind her, the dark expansiveness of the high-ceilinged lobby seemed like a totally different dimension from the Dellour square.

She had felt like a complete outsider, especially at the back of the class, while other students chatted and the teacher gabbed away about the history of using medicinal plants in the eastern country. It was an interesting topic, and she would've listened the best she could, but she was constantly distracted by, well, everything. The students, the classroom, even the view through the window - they were all completely new to her, and she couldn't focus for two seconds without suddenly looking out the window at a mother walking, carrying her baby and a basket of unknown fruits.

Kurt was unusually serious - or was that how he normally was, she thought - in contrast to how she had come to know him in the short time they travelled together. He seemed a totally different person, especially in different clothes, and a pair of glasses. Maybe he did have some merit to his name; perhaps his reputation as a star student made him the favorite of the Old Man?

She wasn't called on by Elysius Hawthorne for the whole morning. She assumed that he was busy with the Duke, or had other business to attend to, or had plain forgotten about her -

At any rate, it was lunchtime, and Lynn was hungry. Apparently, the other students were, too, as they had dashed out the room as soon as the dismissal bell sounded.

"Hey, hey you!" a familiarly rude voice shouted at her from the doorway. "Amazon girl, listen up for a second, will you?"

Stunned, Lynn looked back to see a book-laden Kurt, panting and walking towards her.

"Don't go wandering off by yourself. The old man told me to look after you," he said, finally reaching her. He had four or five large, thick, books stacked in his arms, and he bent over to put them on the ground.

"Don't treat me like some foreigner," she said, looking down at him, bent over, hands resting on his knees. "I grew up in this city; I think I can find my way around just fine."

"You can say that, but it's way different now that it was before," he said, finally catching his breath and standing up straight to face her. "And it's not really like you've got a family to go to now that-," he said, his voice suddenly trailing off as he saw Lynn's expression.

Lynn was silent for a while, her gaze blank and unfocused. What he had said was true, after all.

"N-never mind what I just said. I-I'll show you to your old house, at any rate. Old Man Ellis told me to drop these off there, after all," he said, picking up the books again.

"My house?" Lynn said, suddenly cheerful again.

"Yeah, although there's a library and research facility in it now," Kurt said, hefting the books in his hands. "I read in the files that the ownership of the house transferred right over to Ellis, being the next in line to inherit the property, since, well, you left three years ago."

"Oh, I see," Lynn said, realizing that it would a different home to go 'home' to.

"But I heard that they've kept some of the house's rooms intact, like a museum of the great Verdant Eldridge, or something. I'm sure you'll still recognize some of it. But let's start walking now, before my arms turn to jelly under these books and under this heat."

-.-.-

They walked into the cool darkness of the Eldridge family home. Kurt was right, though the front seemed the same as she'd remembered as a child, inside was completely different. A large front desk greeted them at once, a wall directly behind it, with shelves and shelves of files and folders. Off to the right, a corridor led deeper into the building.

"Good afternoon, Kurt, I've been expecting you," the man behind the desk said, looking up from what he was writing on a piece of parchment.

"Yeah, well, here's the books Mr. Hawthorne said to bring over," he said, putting the books on the desk. "It's the ones he bought from Kippernia, when we were away."

"Yes, valuable additions to our growing library. I shall have them logged in properly," he said, purposefully eyeing the books on his desk. He looked up and saw Lynn standing there, a little unsurely, in the doorway. "And who might this miss be?"

"M-my name is Lynn Eldridge," she said, equally as unsure. "I'm the daughter of -"

"The Great Verdant Eldridge, to whom we dedicate this hall of medicinal study. I have heard the rumors that you were in town, but now I see for myself the daughter of a great man. Mr. Hawthorne had always been talking about how he would bring you back to this town, and I see he is always true to his word. I am honored to meet you," he said, in one fluent gesture of standing up and taking her hand to kiss it.

"Um, same here," she said, awkwardly.

"Allow me to show you around the facility. I am sure you will be quite delighted with what we have," he said, walking back to the desk for a moment, taking a bunch of keys from the drawer, and taking the thick books effortlessly into his arms.

Everything was painted white and astonishingly clean. Along the corridor, several doors leading to several rooms stood open; Inside the first door, Lynn could see some shelves of books and strange apparatus, counters of plants and colorful liquids in glass flasks. People also lingered around, busy examining this or boiling that, writing in some parchment or reading from some book.

"As you can see, researchers employ this facility for many purposes," the front deskman said to her. "These stairs to the right lead up to the library. Let me show you," he said, walking up the set of stairs.

"This portion of the house we've kept close to the original, as you can probably tell, Ms. Eldridge," he said, once they were on the second floor landing. Indeed, Lynn recognized the upstairs sitting room, still with its original chairs and low table. The distant wall revealed the doors which had led to her parents' studies, which were indeed looked the same as they had been.

"The two studies, however, have been combined in order to form the library, this way," he said, walking down the floor. "This is where we keep books all for the further study of the science. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will have these added to inventory by our library staff.

"But if you will notice, we have closed off the stairs to the third floor of the house, the entirely untouched section: the bedrooms. This key," he said, somehow magically balancing all the books in one hand as he fished in his pockets and handed them a large key. "- opens the way. Now if you'll excuse me, I will have these added to inventory by the library staff."

Lynn paused a moment to take it all in. Her house, finally, but it was different; all familiar, but greatly changed. Just like herself, perhaps, if she stopped to think about it. But then the excitement of seeing her old room came back to her again, and she tingled with anticipated nostalgia.

"Well," Kurt said, impatiently tapping his foot. "Are you going up or are you not?"

Lynn took a deep breath and turned the key over in her hands. "Okay, I guess there's no better time than now," she said, heading towards the said locked door.

-.-.-

"A message for you, Captain Winthrop," the messenger said, as he walked up to the highest-ranking officer of the Northern Border.

"From whom?" asked the stately man behind the large wooden desk. His helmet, an intimidating black piece of iron, lay on the table next to the document he was currently reading.

"As was indicated on the package," the messenger continued, presenting the rolled-up message in question. "- Sir Galadore of Kippernium Castle. Arrived by pigeon just this morning. That is all we know of it."

"Sir Galadore? Astonishing, he has the time to send me letters now, does he?" he chuckled. "It's been a while since I saw the brute, I wonder what he has to say to me," he said, taking the parchment, unsticking the seal, and unrolling it. "You may leave," he nodded vaguely at the messenger.

His eyes scanned the paper for a few seconds, and the joviality in his chuckle disappeared instantly. He read and re-read the message again, afraid that his dear old friend had made a mistake, or that he had simply misunderstood. But after several minutes of staring at the words, he realized that there could be no jest, or mistake in the message.

"Guard," he shouted to the guard stationed outside his door. "Get me an escort carriage immediately. There is someone important arriving in Rourkehill shortly, and I would very much like to meet him at once."

-.-.-

(Ohoho, still managing to make the titles connected to the content. Were you able to spot them this time?

(Short recap of everything that's happened thus far: Lynn's been whisked away by Elysium Hawthorne to her hometown of Dellour, in some evil plot, and she and Kurt are about to explore her childhood home. Landen's on his way to Rourkehill, but then so is Captain Winthrop, thanks to a message by carrier pigeon from Sir Galadore back in Kippernium!

(Reads are nice, faves/alerts are much appreciated, and reviews are very much loved! This long-playing plot still has a lot of spirit left in it, so I hope you enjoy reading it, folks, because I'm pretty sure I enjoy writing it!)


	19. Things People Hold

[Short recap of everything, and I mean _everything_, that's happened, because I swear, things will get more confusing from now on, so try to follow if you want to.

[We all know that Lynn is a healer from Dellour; her father died three years ago from some strange disease, which her mother died of also when she was just a child. She left Dellour when her father died, and went to Kippernia to train to become a knight. During the time she was gone, a man named Elysium Hawthorne took over her father's profession, put up a school, a library, and stuff. Also, said man had given suspicious flower to Lynn's parents shortly before she was born; it was the flower that they were researching before Lynn's mom died.

[Note: Lynn and Landen met Hawthorne at the Duke's manor, after she helped treat Lady Yvonne.

[Landen, as was revealed back in Chapter 14, is the son of an enemy empire dragon rider, Aldread, who is now Aldrich Winthrop, now serving in the Kippernia Northern border, technically making him a traitor to both countries. Hawthorne threatened him not to follow Lynn back to Dellour or he would reveal his father's identity to the king, making him the son of a traitor, which basically isn't a good thing.

[Lynn was taken to Dellour by Hawthorne and Kurt, and was given a tour of the place. Lynn is handed a mysterious box, spoken ominous words, the usual stuff. Meanwhile, Landen is heading up north towards the Northern Border. Oh, and Aldrich Winthrop just received a message from Sir Galadore by carrier pigeon to meet someone in the northern town of Rourkehill.

[So that's basically everything in a nutshell. I swear, I didn't plan on any of this, so I'm just amazed that it's all keeping together well so far. Please read, review, request, and refer this to anyone, and I mean _anyone_ who might be interested. I know I've strayed a bit from the whole "Jane and the Dragon" thing, but I hope you guys don't mind. I'd really like to hear your opinions on it. I'm honestly planning to edit it all and make it a nice polished story after it's all done, so I hope you enjoy how it's going so far. :D]

-.-.-

19

**Things People Hold**

-.-.-

Lynn cried. Cried like she had not cried in years. Cried like she had cried into Landen's shoulder back in the sitting room of Kippernium castle when the old healer had told her that he would bring her back to Dellour. Because she was in Dellour. She was home.

Only there was no Landen, and there was no broad shoulder anymore. Just her old room with all the furniture empty and cleared out, but otherwise untouched. The notches cut into the doorframe as she grew taller each year were still there, and she could see that the window was still crooked on its hinge, from when she had broken it as a child. She couldn't find her old notebooks and sketches; perhaps they had been stored in the library downstairs somewhere. She lay on the dusty mattress, sniffing and sobbing and waiting for the sadness to subside.

And then there was the almost-complete stranger standing in the doorway. For a second, through blurry eyes, she thought she saw Landen there, gazing at her with soft brown eyes. But after sitting up abruptly and blinking tears away, she only saw Kurt, looking at the notches in the door frame.

"Whooo-ey, so you were already taller than me at twelve years old!" he said, measuring himself up to the notches. "You really are an Amazon."

"Shut up. It's nothing a midget like you would understand," she said, brushing her tears away on her sleeve.

"So anyway, listen, there's something I've been wanting to show you," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "But you have to come with me."

"Hm? What is it? Did Old Man Ellis Hawthorne want anything with me?"

"Well, you could say that. But I can't show you here. Follow me," he said, turning on his heel and disappearing from the room.

Lynn followed after him shakily. Taking one last glance at her room, she closed the door on it and walked away slowly. It's not like she wasn't going to see it again.

"Hurry up, Amazon," Kurt said, standing on the first-floor landing impatiently.

Once she arrived at the bottom, still rubbing her eyes, Kurt walked over to the front desk.

"And don't forget that bag and notebook of yours," Kurt snapped, tugging at the messenger bag around Lynn's neck. "It's important. Now let's go," he said, pulling on Lynn's arm.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Elysium Hawthorne is after you. And not in a good way."

-.-.-

"I'm looking for a man named Thomas," Landen said to one of the police on duty. "People at a hamlet down the road said I could get help from his stables."

"Oh, Thomas, eh," the gruff man repeated, stroking his bushy moustache. In his bright blue winter coat uniform, he looked down at Landen, shivering in the cold. "It's ter inn down two roads that way," he said, pointing out directions. "Ye'd better git warmer clothes while ye'r at it, boy, if ye'r planning to go up north wit' th' horse," he shouted out after him.

Landen could only wave his hand vaguely at him as he walked away. Leading the horse by the reins with his hands tucked under his thin cloak, he made his way through the slight haze to the inn. People stared at him; was it because he looked out of place, or because his teeth were chattering their way so loudly through his skull?

This inn was far larger than the one back in the small hamlet, and a small valet boy took the horse and led it to the stables in the back. He stepped into the warmth of the tavern gratefully, and was glad to have remained unnoticed by the lively surroundings.

A barhand approached him asking what he would like, and Landen stated his name, that he was looking for Thomas, and that an uncle from a hamlet down the road had sent him there. The barhand nodded and walked away, into what seemed to be the kitchen. Landen blinked after him absent-mindedly, then started to walk over to a table near the fireplace. Settling himself into an empty large high-backed chair, he was about to doze off when he was shook awake.

"Are you the Landen that's looking for me?" the voice asked. He was thin, just like his uncle back at the hamlet, and he didn't have the thick accent of the North, either. "The name's Thomas."

"Oh, Mr. Thomas, thank you. Someone back at the hamlet said to tell you your uncle sent me. I just needed some help getting to the Northern Border, and he said you could help and-," Landen stood up and started rambling.

"Well, sir," Thomas said, smiling awkwardly. "You'll be getting up there alright. Just not with my help, though."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Landen said, his mind still fuzzy with exhaustion.

"Soldiers, I believe you have your man," he said, motioning to two armored soldiers who went on to collect Landen, passed out.

Landen's vision faded to black, and the last thing he saw was a third soldier joining the other two, with a face he hadn't seen in a long time, bringing tears to his eyes. His voice came out hoarse.

"F-father."

-.-.-

"This situation is highly suspect, if you ask me," Kipp said, absent-mindedly, to no one in particular, mostly out of anyone to talk to. "I mean, first Lynn is taken away by an old 'acquaintance,' presumably never to come back. Landen rides off unauthorized in a northward direction. Galadore sends a letter by carrier pigeon to someone up at the Northern border, and then suddenly rides off to the east. And… and… Argh, none of it makes any sense!" he said, shaking his head.

He paced the courtyard back and forth several times. Then, without anything else to do, and without anyone else to talk to, decided to head for the library.

"Hey, Amelia, could I take a look at all the books that Lynn has been reading so far?"

-.-.-

"I don't understand what you're saying, Kurt," Lynn said nervously, clutching the Eldridge Journal to her chest. Her bag, with nothing but the thick book from the library and a few sets of clothes suddenly seemed to weigh her down. Her knees were shaking. "What do you mean?"

"Lynn," he said, all seriousness. "Elysium Hawthorne may have known your father, but he was certainly no friend. Not by what he did to him."

"But surely you can't mean it… that he… he-," she said, on the verge of tears again.

"I just told you. He killed your parents, Lynn! He can't be trusted!" Kurt fairly shouted.

They were standing on a grassy hill some ways outside the west gate of Dellour, the sun setting in the background. She thought he had brought her here to enjoy the beautiful view; she was doing anything but that.

"They died of a debilitating illness, we all know that. It's all recorded in their published research notes, every single symptom of their dying days. How could he have killed them?"

"It was by poisoning, Lynn. I've read those notes, too; there's a copy back at the library. But try to think, Lynn. What was the last thing that they researched together, when you are a child?"

"It was… the Blue Queen flower of Salmari," she said, recalling what she knew.

"Yes. And according to ancient Salmari knowledge, it's highly poisonous. That's why the cactus dies shortly after it blooms. It's poisoned by its own flowers."

Lynn was shocked. She just stood there, mouth agape, staring at Kurt.

"Also, try to remember. Who gave your parents those samples back then? Who brought the flowers back from Salmari; the one who had been there, heard the local stories about its deadliness, and gave it to your parents as a gift?"

"I can't believe it. My father wrote that Ellis had said it had healing properties," she said, remembering what was written in the journal.

"He probably lied. It wouldn't have been the first time he did, though. Apparently, wasn't the last time, either," Kurt said, his head lowered. "All this time, he's just been building up his reputation here in Dellour, thieving your father's research and keeping his dark secrets. And all this time, I've been studying under him all this time, trying to get to the bottom of it."

"So what's he planning to do now? I mean, he's practically taken over the whole town already."

"Personally? I think he's trying to take over the kingdom."

-.-.-

[Suspense-building is suspense-building. One squee if you liked it, two squees if it was kinda hard to understand.]


	20. Things People Sold

-.-.-

20

**Things People Sold**

-.-.-

The moment Landen opened his eyes, the world started spinning. Or rather, bouncing along. He was lying on one of the long benches in a large military-style carriage, with canvas walls and top, meant for carrying troops and artillery, and it wasn't exactly the most comfortable ride in the kingdom. He groaned and turned over, and ended up falling off the bench and onto the floor of the carriage.

"I see you're awake now," a man said, seated on the other bench. "We're on our way to the Northern base. This carrier's comfortably warm, now, isn't it? Why don't you sit up and let's have a talk."

Landen bolted upright in the bouncing carriage and stared incredulously at the man. He sat back down on his bench and rubbed his eyes, threatening to shut with exhaustion, but wide open in shock as he recognized the broad-shouldered man across from him. The one that had stood behind the soldiers at the inn in Rourkehill, who had taken him away as soon as he passed out.

"Father," he said, in merely a whisper. "Father, I-," he said, too stunned to say anything else.

"I received a message from your master, back in Kippernia, saying that you had taken off without his permission," Captain Winthrop said, nonchalantly inspecting the glove on his right hand. He was leaning back against the canvas wall of the carriage, and seemed so aloof. "And now I find you halfway to the Northern border, exhausted and absolutely unequipped for the terrain. Now what would you, _my son_, be doing playing hooky from your squire duties?"

"Sir Galadore! And the Kingdom," he said, the words just tumbling out of his mouth, his hands suddenly frantically motioning. "Then the Duke, and the healer… And Lynn was taken away, and then…" he said, slowing down, his voice going back to normal. He suddenly remembered what the healer had told him - about his father.

"I see there's a lot on your mind. Any more words you'd like to add?" his father asked, chuckling slightly.

"Father, is it true? About your past."

The smile disappeared from Winthrop's face, and he leaned forward, looking Landen in the eye. "And what kind of past would we be talking about now, son?"

"Not the kind we can discuss here," Landen's face was dead set serious.

Captain Winthrop sighed and leaned back again. "A simple question about you playing hooky, and you answer with an inquisition into my past. Quite the direct approach."

The carriage slowed, then rattled to a stop. Landen looked out the small opening in the canvas at the back of the carriage and saw a world of white.

"Very well. Here we are, then, son," he said, handing Landen a cloak from under the bench before opening up the canvas and stepping down from the carriage. He motioned for Landen to follow, and then disappeared round the side.

Landen hurriedly threw the cloak over himself and was fumbling with the ties, and nearly tripped over it while stepping down. He stopped himself before falling face first into six inches of snow. He whipped around to face his father, who was standing in front of an impossibly high wall jutting out into the white sky.

"Welcome, son," his father said, extending his arms wide. "to the Kippernian Border."

-.-.-

"You'll have to forgive us, though, Lynn," Elysium said pleasantly, over dinner. "We decided to have the house developed along with the rest of the town. Nobody knew where you had disappeared to, and no other family could be identified, and so after the burial, I took charge of the property in the meantime; I have settled it with the town council, and they have allowed me to develop the land, and it has brought tremendous benefits to everyone involved."

"Yeah, I'm sure the council's pockets benefited, too," Lynn heard Kurt mumble next to her, with his mouth full.

"N-no, it's okay," Lynn said, choking down her food. She tried to look as calm as she could, but her hands were shaking, spilling bits of rice and potatoes all over her plate. "I mean, it's for the benefit of the kingdom, after all."

"Indeed it all is. Actually, I was thinking of another project later on this year-," he went on, his food practically untouched. He had been going on about his numerous plans for the house, the school, and the town. "Why, I believe we can make some changes to the kingdom if we wanted to," he'd said earlier. Lynn only gulped down her food, dreading what that could mean.

"_Personally? I think he's trying to take over the kingdom," _Kurt had told her earlier that afternoon, but he didn't dare voice it out now. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind as she struggled to swallow her dinner. Didn't want anyone to be suspicious. _Please stop shaking hands, you have no right to be shaking on me now. My parents' murderer is right there, don't start shaking now, please don't._

"It's so nice that both of you could join me for dinner tonight," Ellis suddenly said, for the third time that evening. "It's lonely sometimes, living by myself."

"Anyone who's alone is lonely, senile old fool," Kurt muttered under his breath again, covering it this time with a slight cough as he reached for his glass of water.

"Now that you've returned, though, you could stake your claim as rightful heir to the property. You could be a valuable partner in managing the Academy, as your father probably would have been, if he were here with us today."

"_He _would_ be here, if you hadn't killed him,"_ she involuntarily thought in the back of her head, filling in the absence of Kurt's mumbling. "Well, no thank you, I don't think I'm ready for that kind of workload. I'm still just studying to be a squire."

"But you don't even have to be a squire anymore, dear little Lynn," he said, in a calm voice. He reached his hand over to hers and patted it gently. Lynn shivered. "I have another proposal I think you'd be interested to hear."

-.-.-

"Adopt you? What is that old man thinking?" Kurt said, pacing the inn room.

"I _know_! You don't have to keep reminding me. It's troubling enough thinking about it as it is without you stomping around saying it every 2 seconds," Lynn said, sitting on edge of the bed, leaning her elbows on her knees and hanging her head in her hands.

"Sorry, it's just that-," Kurt shook a fist in the air, seemingly unable to express himself. "I can't believe that guy. Who knows what twisted plan he's got for you."

"But you know, it _would_ solve a lot of problems for me," Lynn said, looking up. "I could live here, and not have to go back to be a squire. It'd be much easier then, if I didn't have to work like that anymore. I mean, the guy's obviously loaded and well-connected. Who knows, it might actually be a good idea."

"You did not just say that, now," Kurt said, hurrying over and sitting next to her. "The man's diabolical. He killed your pare-."

"And where is the proof that says that?" Lynn suddenly said, abruptly standing up and facing Kurt. "Come to think of it, you haven't shown me good cause to believe anything that you've been saying. What if your little theories aren't true?"

"What? How could you doubt me now? I've been doing everything I can to help you."

"Yeah? Well maybe you've just been helping yourself, hm? Trying to suck up to the old man, getting on his good side all the time. Maybe you're pushing me away so _you_ could get adopted, hm?" Lynn said, her voice rising.

"I still have _parents_, and I'm not trying to push you away. I'm trying to protect you-," he said, standing up abruptly, still much shorter than Lynn, though.

He suddenly put a hand to his forehead, feeling dizzy, probably from standing up so fast. "That's odd, that doesn't usually happen to me, though- Oh, dung beetle," he said, wobbling from side to side, and sitting, then laying down on the bed suddenly.

"Kurt, Kurt, what's wrong?" Lynn said, sitting beside him. Suddenly, she felt dizzy as well. She had the strong impulse to lie down as well, when she heard the door slam open and several strangers come in, followed by a familiar plump figure in white.

"Well, well, it seems you already know too much. Just how much has he told you?" Elysium Hawthorne said, walking in with a deliberate stride.

Lynn's mind was reeling, but she struggled to keep he thoughts together. Suddenly she realized why she and Kurt were feeling like this, and she attempted to stand up to face the old man, but her legs wouldn't comply with her, and she sat there, body slowly growing limp and eyes growing dim.

"The food… You never touched your food, you snake," she said, through drooping eyelids.

"Unlike you two, who aren't going anywhere for a while, I've got places to be, people to meet, government officials to bribe," he said, looming over her suddenly. "And kingdoms to destroy."

"You're bluffing. You can't really do that," she said, her speech starting to slur.

"Oh, you can do anything, if you're connected to the Emperor."

A shock of realization went through Lynn, and she was suddenly wide awake for a moment. "You- You're betraying the kingdom? How is it possible-," she said, lunging forward, fist ready to strike the man.

"Knowledge is power, dear little Lynn," he said, easily catching her as she fell forward, limp in his arms. "And your dear old father had just so much of it that he didn't want to share with me. So I planned, carefully, deliberately; oh, you don't know how many years I waited to get my hands on that juicy research material of his.

"So I slipped him that flower, several years back. It was poisonous, I knew that; but he didn't. He took it, and started studying it. True enough, over the years, its lethality brought death to both your parents. But that's something no one can blame on me, now, not even you, not even with my confession right now; you haven't any proof that I gave it.

"I've promised information to the Emperor; research, politics, gossip of the nobles, anything that could be useful. I would act as his spy in the Kingdom, and once the Empire has won, I will be given tremendous power and wealth, even beyond what I have now. You must agree, it's an alluring deal.

"And interestingly enough, I've found several potent formulations among your father's research. I'm sure any one of them could be used as an untraceable deadly poison for an unsuspecting Duke, or even King. I've even ensured the full cooperation of your fellow Kippernian Knight, that Landen fellow, in my plans.

"Oh, but look at the time, it's getting dark, and you're getting very, very sleepy. How about you rest here a while, while I stop all this talking and get to work on my plans," he carried her over to the bed and put her there, next to Kurt. "I'll see you when I'm the Duke of Dellour."

Lynn's eyes were shutting close, but her ears had caught everything that was said. Her thoughts were racing, but her body immobile. She willed her body to move, but none of the usual muscles seemed to work anymore.

And the last thought that ran through her mind before she blacked out totally, was Landen.

-.-.-

[Woohoo, here comes the conflict! There's a recap in Chapter 19 if you want to read everything that's happened up to that point. I've also edited some minor details in 18 and 19, just so it'd be more consistent.

[Please review if you have the time to type a few comments on the writing style (it's changed. It's because I'm writing a musical at the same time, so I'm still thinking in song XP), storyline (it's messy, it's dramatic. I like it that way, but comment if it's too hard to follow), or characters (I'm not sure if they're still consistent at this point. Any inconsistencies I will attribute to character growth and development haha).

[Hope you're still enjoying the story so far!]


	21. Gifts People Send

-.-.-

21

**Gifts People Send**

-.-.-

Lynn winced as a dull aching pain erupted at the back of her head. And the rest of her body as well. She was lying on her side on a hard wooden floor, and darkness surrounded her. She strained her ears but heard nothing. But she did catch a whiff of horse manure and singed hair. The air around her was slightly chilly, as though it might be early morning.

"A hostage!" she whispered to herself, recalling what the old man had been saying before she lost consciousness. So she was a hostage! Excellent! "Now what?" she asked herself, tied up in the dark.

She wriggled her wrists, bound behind her back, but found her arms sore and the skin raw. She tried wiggling her feet, bound tightly together, and found that she could pull herself into a kneeling position of sorts. A rag was tied over her mouth, and was damp against her cheeks as she looked around her. Bumping her elbows against something hard and solid, she realized that there was hardly enough space to move around in.

It was the carriage filled with the healer's cargo. Why did he need all of these to bring to Kippernia? She sidled over to one trunk on the floor, on which she had bruised her elbow. She found its corner, hard and sharp, and immediately turned her back to it and started sawing the ropes on her wrists on its metal corner.

She kept at it a while, and stopped for a rest when her arms became sore. With her eyes growing more adjusted to the dark, she inspected the rest of the cargo. They were mostly large trunks, with locked lids, suitcases, which were probably filled with clothes, and other boxes which looked as though they might hold laboratory equipment. Was the healer here on an extended stay?

Working on her ropes again, she started to see light seep through a slit in the roof. So it's early morning, she thought. Wait a minute, then that means…

Frantically, she started thumping her feet on the wooden floor while at the same time running her bonds thin. The carriages were kept near the stables, and Colton checked those every morning. Maybe he would hear her and come rescue her.

Instead, several heavy footsteps came to the carriage door and opened it abruptly, bright light pouring in, nearly blinding her. She shut her eyes against the white light and felt herself grabbed by several pairs of arms and carried roughly out.

What first assailed her was the harsh cold wind against her exposed face and hands. She was slung over someone's shoulder, and a thick cloth slung over her, providing some warmth against the unexpected cold. She wriggled in her captor's grip, and poked her head out from under the cloth, and blinked several times.

Snow? Mountains?

The northern border.

-.-.-

Landen had worked up a sweat in training that morning, according to the routine scheduled for him by his father. Several hours he ran around the barracks, adequately heated in the harsh weather, then followed the special exercise plan in his father's special training room. Then he spent another hour or two horseback riding in the massive indoor range, on his father's second-favorite horse, Rush. He'd been at it for several weeks now, and he felt himself growing more accustomed to the hard work; but still he could not see his father's purpose for him.

He saw the other soldiers at their duties; not exactly knights, neither were they squires. They were not trained as knights, with the code of gallantry and what-nod; it was like there was only one rule up here: Defend everything. Leave no man behind. Perhaps the harsh conditions had caused them to change their warrior's paradigm, but it seemed brutally effective in the terrain. He could see why the northern border has been the unbreachable border.

However, he never was able to again confront his father about his mysterious past. Was the old man telling the truth? How much of it was real? Could he trust his father to be honest with him?

Questions assailed his mind as he showered and dressed to finally pay a visit to his father's quarters, to finally set things straight. He knocked on the door of his father's office, and was told by a gruff voice to enter. Opening the door and stepping through the doorway, he was greeted by the now-familiar sight of his father's military post, a large and much-used room. The warmth of the fireplace filled the whole room and lit the silhouette of the high-backed chair, and his father, hunched over some military correspondence.

"Father, I think it's we talked. I _know_," he said, walking towards the table. "I've heard. An old healer named Hawthorne told me everything. I want to hear from you whether it's true or not."

Captain Winthrop sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What a dilemma," he said, putting the papers down and rubbing his eyes. "Do we spend on new saddles or better food for the horses?"

"Father!" Landen said in a pleading voice.

"Yes, yes, I heard you," he said, picking up a feather pen and dipping it in ink. "Well, saddles are no use if they don't get proper quality bran mash," he mumbled to himself, signing the document and putting it aside.

"Son, I-," he said, putting his hands together and looking up at Landen, standing in front of his desk. Sighing again, he continued "You should know. All I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember that."

He stood up, pushing his large chair backwards, then walked around the table to stand in front of Landen. In the firelight, Landen could see the wrinkles in his father's face, barely count the gray hairs on his head.

"I-," he began, but was abruptly cut off by a banging on the doors, followed by the doors swinging open violently. Several armed men in a strange uniform stormed into the room, as several of the Captain's own guards lay writhing on the ground outside.

"What is this? How did you get in here?" the Captain said, bewildered, hand immediately pulling out the sword at his waist.

"Well, well, well," an excruciatingly familiar man said, entering the room with slow, deliberate steps. "Looks like the three of us are together again," Elysium Hawthorne smiled at the two of them.

-.-.-

Kipp yawned and stretched back on the bale of hay he was sleeping on. "Things are much too quiet around here for my tastes. How long do those two plan to be away, anyway?"

With nothing but the constant relentlessly pounding of steel upon steel from Colton's forge, the castle was indeed an extremely quiet place to be, in the early afternoon.

He yawned again. "Ah, well. It was time for my afternoon nap, anyway," he said, as he turned over to one side. Suddenly, a loud screeching noise from overhead startled him, and he fell off his makeshift bed and onto the dusty courtyard ground.

"What in the-?" he exclaimed, rubbing his bottom which had struck the ground harshly. "What was that?" he said, looking upwards for the source of the noise.

He was startled once more by the sudden appearance of Sir Galadore, banging open the door to the knight's quarters and rushing down the stairs onto the battlements, his armor clinking loudly. _What's he doing in battle gear?_ Kipp wondered as the knight marched on.

Then he saw the answers to his questions as a falcon suddenly swooped down low into the courtyard. He dove to the ground as its large wings swept the air above his head. Looking up, he saw Galadore beckoning it onto his armored arm. _Ah, so it was for the bird… Wait, it still doesn't make sense!_

Sir Galadore untied a rolled-up parchment from the falcon'sleg and unrolled it abruptly, a serious expression on his face. He looked extremely anxious, and had every right to be. This was a high-speed falcon, sent out only in extreme and emergency situations. And judging by its white colorings, it had to be from-

"The Northern Border-," he suddenly shouted into the castle grounds. "- has been breached! The King must be informed!" he said, quickly putting a mark on the parchment before tying it to the falcon's leg once more. He released it, and it flew off to another fortress, to warn them, as it had been trained to do so in case of a breach like this.

The knight looked more agitated than Kipp had ever seen him before, and with Lynn and Landen as his students of 3 years, that meant he must be riled up beyond his limit right now. He rushed down the battlements, yelling orders to the castle staff at the top of his lungs.

"You there, jester!" he shouted to Kipp, startled that he had been noticed. "Run into town and call the militia. Announce quickly the castle's call to arms. Summon them to this castle."

"But Knight Galadore Sir," he said, unused to being talked to by the knight master. "I am just a jester! How will they take me seriously? If it were one of the squires…"

"You're good at imitating, aren't you?" Galadore suddenly said, with a smirk. "Go take a suit of armor and a shield and call them. They will surely respond to the kingdom seal."

Kipp was suddenly excited and frightened at the same time. To dress like a knight? That was nearly a criminal act of impersonation! But since Sir Galadore was ordering it, and because he had always wanted to wear the armor-

"Sir, Yes, Sir!" he shouted, giving a knight's salute before running off into the quarters to fetch him the best armor he could find.

But once the excitement wore off, the underlying fear and uncertainty rose to the surface once more.

_What was happening to the kingdom?_

-.-.-

(Sorry, had to edit it ^^;. I ended up wanting the story to go another way, since the previous plot was too messy. I guess that's the joy of fics; even the author is surprised at what happens in the story. Anyway, I really want to thank the loyal readers for sticking with the story. It's about at the climax already, so it's all battle-stuff from now on!)


	22. Bridges People Mend

(I trust you've noticed the thickening plot so far, yes, yes? Just send me a message or write a review if things aren't clear… and I apologize if I haven't made things as clear as they should be XP. Anyway, I'm supposed to be writing a paper for school, which I'm not, of course; I'm always not. So there. Here we go, Chapter 21!)

-.-.-

22

**Bridges People Mend**

-.-.-

"Who are you and what do you think you're doing in my fortress?" Captain Winthrop suddenly boomed at the conniving-looking old man in his study. He however stood where he was, next to his table, in order to avoid being surrounded by the half-dozen or so armed unknown men in his study.

"Oh I think you both should know who I am. Why Landen, we've known each other since the day you were born," Hawthorne said with an evil smirk, glancing at Landen. "Don't think I've forgotten about our little chat in the Kippernian castle parlor. Under the current circumstances, you can't pretend that you've forgotten about it."

"You, you old bastar-," he started, but then cut himself off as he unconsciously was about to use that word again; that word which had been used against him. A nugget of doubt suddenly planted itself in his mind as his expression changed from anger to confusion, followed by a worried and pleading look at his father, tall beside him.

"Shan't you complete your sentence, little Kippernian knight? Or maybe you do remember," Hawthorne continued.

"It's not something I can forget," he said, a puzzled look on his face, staring into the floor. Here was a dilemma! Who would he confront now? Hawthorne, an older healer full of enigma? Or his father, embroiled in an even deeper enigma still…

"I see you haven't told him yet, Aldrich Winthrop, Captain of the Kippernian Army, defender of the Northern fortress," Hawthorne said, casually walking around the other side of the heavy table, to stand in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames.

He continued: "Or maybe I should call you by your real name instead, eh, Aldread, Dragon Rider of the Imperial Army, deserter of the war 20 years past?" He said, ominously silhouetted against the fire.

"You don't seem the least bit shocked, m'boy," Aldrich said, his face still dead-set ahead, not looking at either Hawthorne or Landen. His jaw and fists were clenched, making him look even more intimidating than usual.

"I already _knew_. He told me about it," Landen said, suddenly facing his father, his angry expression back on. "He told me everything that you wouldn't talk to me about even before today."

"Elysium Hawthorne," Captain Winthrop said, finally opening his eyes. "Am I right? You're that healer, aren't you?"

"Quick on the uptake, I see. Landen certainly got his wits from somewhere. Even though it is an Imperial traitor," Hawthorne said, still a black shadow against the fireplace.

"What do you want from me? What have you done to my guards?"

"You guards are merely sleeping, thanks to a fast-acting poison gas I've developed. But they will remain knocked out for another couple of hours or so. Do not expect anyone to come running now, I've spread this throughout the fortress," he said, pulling out a mysterious-looking porcelain ball in his hands, and playfully tossing it up and down in the air, circling the table the other once more. "But you-, you will experience worse than them. That is, if you do not cooperate."

At his signal, the armed men surrounded the two of them, father and son, and held them arms behind their backs. Landen struggled to break free, but they overpowered him, three to one. The captain did not even try to break free, allowing the men to hold him captive, but still looked as though he could throw them off in an instant, the way his face was so determined.

"What I want from you, former Dragon Rider," Hawthorne said, looking at the two of them over his shoulder. "- is your dragon."

-.-.-

Lynn struggled with her shackles in the small room that they dumped her in. It looked like they'd brought her to a dungeon cell in the basement. It was freezing, and the floor was stone-cold. She managed to pull an old dusty blanket around herself, but she still shivered, and her teeth chattered her head numb.

"Oy," she struggled through clattering teeth. "Oooooy, it's freezing in here. Can't you keep me somewhere warmer?" she shouted to the guards lounging in front of the fireplace a few meters away from her cell. She could see them through the iron bars, on chairs around a wooden table, chatting nonchalantly. Off to the side, she saw a couple of other guards, in different uniform, knocked out on the floor.

"Ooooy, is it really good to let your prisoner freeze to death? What would that old man say if he found out how you were treating me?" she continued shouting.

"Shut up already! You've been complaining for the past hour. Quit yer yapping and lay still like a good prisoner, 'kay?" one of the guards finally shouted back. Progress, Lynn thought.

"But it's not good! It's too cold. Where the hell are we anyway? Have you brought me to the north pole? It sure feels like it."

"Just get her another blanket or something. Pull something off those guards there," the second guard said to his short-tempered companion.

"What are those guards doing lying on the floor anyway? Is it their break time? If it's not, they're doing a lousy job," Lynn said, trying to keep some sort of verbal interaction going. Her tongue was going numb with cold as she crawled over next to the cold bars, wrapped up in a ball.

"These Northern soldiers put up a pretty good fight, too," the first guard said, taking his partner's advice and walking over to the guards, pulling the capes off them. "Good thing we got to knock them out with that sleeping gas."

"I agree. Taking over the Northern fortress in one go? Unheard of," the second guard said. "Until today, that is."

"Thanks," Lynn muttered, as the guard stuck the blanket into the cell. She quickly wrapped herself up in it, but then suddenly got a whiff of something strangely sweet-smelling and sickening, sort of like poppy. _What was that? Could it be- the sleeping gas they'd knocked him out with?_

She held her head away from the cape, keeping it wrapped around her body instead. _If it's just a gas, as long as I don't inhale it, it won't affect me much, I guess_.

"Shouldn't we be doing something else by now? I mean, weren't we told that the effects would only last a few hours?"

"We're just waiting for the old man's negotiations. If he doesn't get it done quickly, soon enough they'll be calling us," he said, and the last few words held a sinister aura to them.

"Oh, you're right," the first man said, snickering. "To bring the girl, right?"

Lynn shivered, not just at the temperature, but at his words. _Me? Am I a hostage? For whom?_

"Right," the second man said. "I bet her little squire buddy upstairs is just dying to meet her."

_Landen?_

"Then his old man will have to agree to Hawthorne's demands and give up this place, it's as good as ours, anyway," the first man said, sitting down at the table with a thump. "Fancy what that old warmonger wants with this fortress, I wonder. It's at the farthest reaches of the kingdom, and it's too damn cold!"

"Haven't you heard? About the captain who runs this place?"

"What? You mean that Winthrop fellow? He and that squire kid are father and son, that's what I know," he said, surprised.

_Landen's dad?_

"He's a friggin' _Dragon Rider_, didn't you hear? Weren't you briefed on this mission?"

"Well, I never really listened to any of what they were telling me," the short-tempered man said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But what the hell? Dragons are supposed to be extinct! I mean, the last dragon rider was Aldread of the Imperial army years ago, and he just up and vanished…" he said, trailing off suddenly.

"You don't mean-,"

"Yes," the second man said.

"Then you don't mean-,"

"Yes a second time!" he said, exasperated. "Finally, you understand Hawthorne's purpose now."

"Then that doesn't mean-. I mean, we wouldn't need a dragon if we weren't going to-,"

"Yes," the other man said, in a solemn voice. "We're going to lay siege to the kingdom."

-.-.-

Kipp panted, knees buckling, as he headed back into the castle. The armor weighed heavily on him, but the burden on his mind weighed even more. He had just run through town, through the fields, through the houses, calling on all who were able-bodied and willing to take up arms for the castle to assemble the town's militia at the castle grounds. Who wouldn't get riled up about that? People became nervous and asked him questions, which he wasn't so sure about himself. And it grew heavier and heavier throughout the day.

Sir Galadore strode into the courtyard, and Colton and other male staff were busy assembling the said arms needed. Stacks and stacks of unused spears, swords, armor, and shields came out of the storage rooms, and Kipp just wondered how they were going to find all the people to carry all of this into battle.

The knight surveyed the work, a helmet under one arm, and clucked and shook his head. "I should have known that being short on knights would bite me back someday. So much for castle tradition when it comes to the practical matters. I take full responsibility for leaving the castle so vulnerable in this aspect. However," he said, turning to Kipp, who suddenly straightened up. "I don't intend to let this weakness compromise the castle's integrity. Jester, you will lead operations here. I will strengthen our defenses elsewhere," he said, heading off into the castle.

"But, Sir," Kipp said, his shoulders suddenly dropping. "What do I do?"

"You've seen me shout orders at the squires long enough," he said, glancing back. "Monkey see, monkey do. Good luck, boy."

Kipp sighed, then banged a fist against his shield. "Oh boy. Dress like a squire, impersonate a knight. What a day for a jester."


	23. Arms People Draw

(Hwaaah, I've got the ending all planned out now :3. In general. These recent chapters have been a lot of fun to write, since they're so intense and all. I suggest you read it slowly. It's easy to lose your way in the story. Enjoy, and review please! I'll be updating a bit more frequently. :3)

-.-.-

23

**Arms People Draw**

-.-.-

Lynn heard several pairs of armored footfalls echoing through the cold stone walls of the dungeon. The two guards who were on duty stood up lazily to greet their approaching companions.

"So what's the news up front?" the short-tempered guard asked.

"The castle has been secured," one of the newcomers said brusquely. "Negotiations have begun with the Dragon Rider."

"Finally! You know what that means," the short-tempered guard suddenly clapped his hands together gleefully, if not a bit sinisterly.

"It's your cue, boys. Take her up," the other newcomer said, motioning his head towards the cell where Lynn lay captive, sitting against a wall, with two capes wrapped around her like blankets.

Lynn shrank back a little as the guards unlocked her cell door, which swung with a creak that echoed through the dungeon and hurt her ears.

The two guards stood on either side of her and motioned for her to stand up.

"Wait," she mumbled, rising slowly. With deliberate movements, she arranged one cape around her own shoulders. "It's still too cold." The other one she folded and tucked into her belt. All that she had left on her were her long-sleeved tunic, breeches, boots, and belt; hardly appropriate for the climate. "In case I get cold later."

"Tch. Girls," one guard mumbled as they shoved her out of the cell. One of the guards started to tie her hands in front of her. What he didn't know was that under the sleeves, Lynn had wrapped strips of one of the capes, putting some padding between her wrists and the cloth of her tunic and the ropes; she planned to escape soon, and by pulling out the strips - which she could do even with her hands tied - , the ropes would be loose enough to slip her hands through.

The guards led her up the stairs and into the fortress. The fortress was bare, and they passed groups of Border soldiers, unconscious and lying on the ground, or being dragged away by the invading soldiers. The sight chilled her deeper than the cold winds did.

Up and up flights of stairs they went, she and her four guards. It became colder and draftier the higher they climbed. After fifteen minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the top of what felt like the tallest tower in the fortress. Another two mercenary soldiers were guarding the door, and they stepped aside to let the hostage be escorted to the highest point of the Northern Border.

Lynn drew a cold breath as the cold winds hit her full force.

While before her lay Landen, held tightly by two soldiers, and another man laying on the ground, bloody and bruised, squirming. Landen seemed to be in anguish, and crying out to the injured man.

A laugh broke through her shocked state. Elysium Hawthorne laughed heartily as she was brought closer to the two.

"So then, Dragon Rider, do you still refuse to call your dragon? See how far you've fallen! From an esteemed Imperial soldier, to mere guard duty here in this blasted climate! You refuse my offers of money and glory, refuse to yield to even physical pain. We'll just have to try something else, then, shall we?" he said, his face twisted with malice, as he signaled to his soldiers.

Landen and Lynn were brought forward, and Lynn could then see dried tears on his cheeks. He had long stopped sobbing though, and kept his face as still as he could. They were then left by their guards, and they stood together, alone.

"Landen, what's going on?" she asked as they came closer together. "What is he talking about?"

"He's trying to make my father summon his dragon. Only he knows how to. They've been torturing me, and he's been protecting me. I've been trying to escape, but I can't get my hands free," he said, wriggling his arms, tied behind his back. "I don't know what they're planning to do next, but it can't be good," he said, looking around warily.

Lynn raised her bound hands and shook her head, but whispered "Don't worry, I can get out of these quickly if we need to. But what should we do now?"

"All we can really do," Landen said, "is wait for whatever they throw at us."

-.-.-

"Town's militia," Kipp said, huffing, as he tried to catch his breath, bent over. "has been gathered - pant, pant - in the square, sir!" he said, making a feeble salute.

"Good work, boy. I will go and see them at once," Sir Galadore said, walking past him quickly. "Now prepare the arms from the warehouse. Colton will help you. Bring them to me quickly."

"Sir, yes, sir!" he said, giving another salute as he hobbled off towards the castle, armor dangling meekly from his lanky figure.

Galadore looked after him, shaking his head and chuckling to himself sadly. "Our castle is woefully unprepared for such a situation. But we must fight on," he said, reciting in his head the speech of encouragement he would be giving the town's militia.

He marched out of the castle and into the town's square.

-.-.-

Kipp found Colton testing one of the swords, a curved blade, swinging it around in the armory.

"Whoa there, boy," he said, standing at the door, hands held up. "Don't want to hurt yourself before the battle actually begins."

"Just… trying it out. I made this one," he said, in a monotone voice as he put the sword back in a wooden crate. He picked up the crate and carried it out the warehouse. "Let's start with the swords."

"Oh, alright then," Kipp said, his voice faltering as he looked at the stacks of crates still in the warehouse room. He sidled over to one and attempted to lift as Colton had. It didn't budge an inch.

Giving a low whistle, he straightened up again, stretching his back. "Well now, looks like I'm in over my head on this," he said, sitting down in front of the crate, tilting his head back. His eyes caught a glimpse of something shining behind some of the boxes.

"Well hello, what do we have here?" he said, pushing the crates aside. He found a wheeled metal contraption, rusted and cobwebbed, but the metal protrusions seemed as sharp and dangerous as ever. "I think Sir Galadore's going to be interested in this-," he said, amazed at his find.

-.-.-

"- have discussed this matter with the King, and this act of aggression on the part of the mercenary soldiers attacking the Northern Border will not be taken lightly. The Kingdom of Kippernia IS. AT. WAR!" Sir Galadore cried out, stressing the last three syllables, shaking his sword in the air with each one.

The townsfolk shouted back with the collective war-cry of a ready and mobilized militia. With the help of wheelbarrows and carts, Colton and Kipp - but mostly Colton - had managed to arm the entire group.

Sir Galadore turned to Kipp, who was handing out spears and shields to eager labormen. "Kipp, about that war-machine you've brought me-," he said, pointing towards the wheeled weapon that the jester had found in the armory. "I believe it was left by our knight forebears in this castle. Unfortunately, it's just one big puzzle to us, but it would seem advantageous to be able to put it to use."

"So," Kipp said, continuing to hand out equipment. "You're telling me to-,"

"Find a way to make it work. I'm assigning you and Colton on this. While I lead the troops, you figure that machine out. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly, sir," Kipp said, saluting, then handing out the last of the shields, quickly ran off, eager to put his wits to the test. "Finally, they recognize my brilliance as a potent weapon!"

-.-.-

Elysium approached the two with slow steps, a sinister smile now seemingly plastered onto his face. He pulled out a small glass vial from somewhere within his robes, and dangled it in front of him.

"What I have here in my hands," he said, out loud, enough for everyone atop the fortress to hear, with the chilly winds picking up and ringing in their ears. "Is the result of modern brilliance in science; the potent poison taken from the deadly Blue Queen flower of the desert."

Lynn winced as he spoke that all-too-familiar name. She could see the ominous dark blue fluid swirling around in the vial.

"Ironic as it may sound, it is all thanks to the renowned healer Verdant Eldridge of Dellour that I hold this poison in my hand," he continued. "Let's all give a hand, gentlemen, to the father of this young lady here, for giving us the best weapon to date - the biological kind."

A few weak claps went around the soldiers, and Lynn hung her head lower and tried to hide behind Landen.

"It is thanks to this brilliance that we breached the Northern Border in a matter of hours, with all its soldiers knocked unconscious almost instantly by a modified version of this poison."

Landen stepped in front of Lynn as Elysium was nearly upon them. He stared the old man in the eye as he approached, giving him as deadly a stare as possible.

"But this particular brew right here, this mouthful in this vial can kill a person instantly without leaving a trace. Perfect for assassinations, don't you think? Why don't we try it out right here," he said. "No, why don't we play a little game, everyone?"

He whistled and two soldiers came and grabbed Lynn by her shoulders, dragging her away from Landen. She screamed and tried to kick herself free, but couldn't break away from her captors. She started to pull at the strips hidden in her sleeves, but suddenly realized that her fingers were numb from the cold, and couldn't pull the strips free. "Stop moving, girl," one of the guards said, and suddenly a sword edge was pressing against her throat.

"Lynn!" Landen cried, rushing towards her, but he was cut off by the soldiers and brought back to face Elysium. He was forced on his knees, and was kept down by one of the guards. He spat at Elysium's feet and looked up at him with contempt.

"Tut tut tut, Landen. Didn't your father teach you respect for your elders? Make one funny move and your delightful little lady friend there gets her throat sliced open, you understand that?"

Landen looked over to where Lynn was held. Elysium grabbed his hair and forcefully turned his head back. Landen looked down.

"You will do as I _say_," the old healer said, through his teeth. "And _you_, old traitor," he said, shouting to Landen's father, Captain Winthrop. "will seriously consider my order to summon your dragon."

The old captain suddenly staggered to his feet, attempting to launch himself towards Hawthorne. He fell to the ground and was surrounded once more by soldiers. He was brought before Hawthorne and forced on his knees, like Landen.

"I'll do as you say. Just don't touch the children," he said, looking up at Elysium.

"Finally, he gives in at this serious threat," Hawthorne guffawed, holding up the poison vial. "Summon your dragon, now."

"I'll need my sword," he said, staring Elysium in the eyes. "My dragon sword."

"Really now? Give you back your weapon?" Elysium said, chuckling. "Fine. Call the soldiers downstairs. Tell them to bring this man his _dragon sword_," he said, the last two words in a singsong voice.

"Let's see what you do next, then, shall we?"

-.-.-


	24. Sights People Saw

(Yay! People've been asking me to update. I know it's because it's been forever since the last chapter… I seriously re-wrote it like three times because it didn't quite fit in with the ending I had in mind. But I've decided to retain chapter 23, and you can expect more twists and turns from now on.

(Just a recap of where everyone is, because I know it's dreadfully confusing: Lynn, Landen, and Landen's dad are being held captive at the Northern Border by Elysium Hawthorne the bad guy healer who wants Landen's dad to summon his dragon. And Kipp, Colton, and Sir Galadore are busy preparing the townspeople/militia for a march onto the south to reinforce the Southern Border which has been breached.

(I would advise y'all to read everything slowly. If you don't have the patience to do so, I suggest you go find another story to read, because this'll just confuse you.

(Thanks for reading, review if you please, and PM for any questions or clarifications.

(And sorry, I haven't changed the whole 'mind' and 'Duchy' thing just yet. I'll be doing over my previous chapters soon, so just wait for that. Thanks!)

-.-.-

24

**Sights People Saw**

-.-.-

"You two, go guard the two youngsters over there, and make sure they don't try anything _foolish_," Elysium said, motioning to two soldiers, ending with a smirk at Lynn and Landen, arms still bound behind their backs. "And you, with the dragon sword, drop it at his feet. And cut his ropes, but watch him carefully."

The soldier emerged from within the castle, carrying a cloth-wrapped sword, the hilt peeking out one end. Lynn could see nothing but an old rusted hilt with strange runes and carvings. _That was it? The Dragon Sword?_ She wondered how that old blade could actually do anything.

With a muffled thud, the soldier dropped it in the middle of the ring of soldiers, where Captain Winthrop knelt calmly. Another soldier came from behind and severed the ropes binding his arms and legs. They both stepped back into the approaching ring of a dozen or so hired soldiers, all eyes on him, and all hands at their waist, ready to pull their swords on him.

Quietly, he sighed and rubbed his sore wrists, then reached for the sword. The air tensed as he unwrapped it from the thick cloth. It was an intricate sheath, if old-looking and worn. _The Dragon Sword_ was written on their lips as they saw it revealed before them.

Standing up slowly, the Captain threw a long glance at the soldiers around him. "Stand back, boys, if you know what's good for you. And keep your eyes open. You just might get to see the dragon."

The soldiers involuntarily immediately took a couple of steps back, just at the tone of his voice; the voice of a man used to commanding a battalion of men.

He held up the sword hilt-up at eye level, then broke off its end.

Lynn could barely see between the soldiers, but she could see that the end of the hilt was attached to the rest of the sword by a long string. Elysium also stood, unblinking, occasionally turning his gaze up to the sky, anticipating the dragon.

And, as the wind stilled, Captain Aldread took a deep breath, then released it as he started swinging the end-piece above his head, letting it out gently by the string.

Then Lynn's ears started ringing. She shook her head and tilted it left and right to try and get rid of it, as she was eager to observe what would happen next. But as she continued to watch the Captain swing the strange contraption above his head, the ringing didn't disappear. In fact, it grew louder as the circles he drew grew larger, and the spinning faster. Landen and some of the soldiers seemed to notice the ringing, too, and all eyes were back on the Captain again.

"Just so you all know," he said, shouting, as the wind started picking up, and the ringing grew louder. "What you're hearing is a dragon whistle. Best used in high altitudes such as this. Carries well on the wind."

The ringing reached an almost unbearable volume, and Lynn tried blocking her ear out with a shoulder, moving away from the noise. There was a general restlessness in the air, with the wind getting stronger, blowing fog and snow into their faces, while the Captain continued spinning the dragon whistle, making it louder still.

"How is this supposed to work?" Landen shouted to Lynn over the noise.

"I have no idea. _Is _it supposed to work?" Lynn shouted back.

A couple of minutes passed. Elysium started growing impatient. He started walking towards the Captain. Then, the noise started dying down as the old man slowed the dragon whistle, letting it spin lower and slower, until it finally rested on the ground. Elysium paused in his steps, carefully eyeing the man. He signaled his soldiers to come closer as well.

Captain Aldrich gave another deep sigh and started winding up the string, returning the dragon whistle to its place on the hilt. The soldiers took a step closer.

"Aldread, I've given you enough time. Where is your dragon?" he shouted, glancing warily around and above him.

"I've done what you said. I've gone and called my dragon," he said, calmly continuing his work until the sword hilt was in one piece again. "Like I said, that's what the dragon whistle's for."

"And when exactly should we expect it to arrive?" Elysium said, walking around restlessly, glancing up the sky. "When will we see it?" he continued talking, sounding more and more like an overexcited child.

"Let me ask you this first," the Captain said, calmly inspecting his sword. "You sure you're men are fully equipped to capture a fully-grown dragon?"

"What do you-?" Elysium asked, puzzled at the Captain's calm expression in the middle of his soldiers. Then he suddenly realized what he meant.

But it was too late. They all heard a terrible shrieking somewhere from the snow swirling around them. Then there was a great beating of wings and some of them spotted a great shadow approaching the wall. Then there was a muted crash, as though something large had driven into the side of the fortress. Several seconds of silence followed. They all strained their ears, and heard nothing but the wind and feet scratching stone.

Lynn looked around; everyone stood motionless. Not a single one dared take a step. _Scratching stone? But what could be making that sound…?_

"The dragon!" one soldier suddenly shouted, running back from the edge of the wall. "It's here!" was all he managed to say next, before suddenly being pulled back into the fog of snow with a wail.

The dragon suddenly emerged from the fog, roaring and rearing its head, large claws pounding at the ground below them. Elysium realized his mistake.

Dragons were very large creatures indeed.

-.-.-

It was a silent march for all of them. None of the Kippernian capital's townsmen dared speak a word, armed, undertrained simple folk as they were. Kipp, riding a white stallion, looked behind him and saw the tense battle-naïve faces headed off to defend their kingdom. He looked back at Sir Galadore on his black mare, the two of them leading the long line. Colton had his own cart with two brown horses, carrying the war-machine and arms.

_You sure we're ready for a battle like this?_ he asked in his head. So many times he was tempted to ask the knight, but he stopped himself every time; a question like that isn't exactly good for morale.

"Kipp," Galadore suddenly called to him.

"Yes, sir?" came an uncomfortably high voice.

"Look sharp and don't worry. Kippernian knights always come through for the kingdom."

"But, sir," he started, _we're the only armored ones here, and I'm not even a real knight_.

"You'll see," Sir Galadore said, his gaze far off into the distance. "By the way, Kipp. I heard Colton's got something in the cart you might find useful right about now."

"'Something useful'?" Kipp repeated, one eyebrow raised. "Alright, I'll go have a look," he said, pulling back in the line to Colton's cart.

Colton gave him a long cool look, then suddenly went "Ah, I think I know what he's talking about," the blacksmith said, handing the reins over to the cart driver beside him.

He showed Kipp a lute.

"What? That thing? That old man's mad. I can't sing," Kipp suddenly said.

"But you can certainly rhyme," Colton said, strumming the lute himself. "And I can play. Just for morale, you know? Like, a battle song."

"Oh, alright," Kipp sad, frowning. "Those two squires owe me big time for all the overtime I'm putting into this."

-.-.-

Lynn sneezed as the dragon stirred up the snow, irritating her nose and eyes. The soldiers behind her and Landen were apparently equally as frazzled.

"Landen!" she shouted as she shook free of her captor. Thinking quickly, she undid the ropes on her wrist, thanks to the quick-release she had prepared beforehand. She spotted her captor heading toward her blindly through the swirling snow and tackled him to the ground, grabbing his sword from his belt.

Quickly getting up, she gave him a heel to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and leaving him writhing on the ground. She went over to where Landen was struggling against another guard, arms still tied behind his back.

She shouted his name again as she rushed at them, and Landen followed by giving the guy a headbutt, sending him reeling back a few steps. Lynn then swung at the soldier, ripping upwards just through the militia leather armor. She swung the flat of the sword against his head, knocking him out, but at the same time breaking the blade. It certainly wasn't the proper way to use such a weapon, but she didn't quite like the idea of mortally wounding anyone right now. Especially with a dragon thrashing just a few feet away from them. She cut Landen's ropes with what was left of the sword, and he went over and grabbed the second soldier's sword from his belt. Then they turned around to face the dragon.


	25. News People Hear

(Yay! I'm writing from a house by the beach. And not just a vacation house or anything, people really live and work here. It's just so awesome :3)

-.-.-

25

**Arms People Draw**

-.-.-

Without warning, the dragon spoke.

"Aldread! Finally, you call me again, and it's just to get me in the middle of this ruckus? The same as I remember," the dragon started talking.

Landen and Lynn stood dumbstruck, as did many of the other soldiers as he turned to talk casually to the Captain.

"Dragon! Grab the children and fly back to the castle!"

"You've got children up here in this mess? As I thought, you haven't changed one bit," he said, looking around him. He spotted Lynn and Landen standing there, frozen. "Alright then, you heard your father, off we go."

Two large claws suddenly surrounded them and they were lifted up onto the back of his neck. He ordered them to hold on as he tensed up his muscles, ready to take off.

Elysium's voice suddenly rose above the din. "Now!"

And without warning, a large spear dripping with a dark liquid came flying through the air, hitting the dragon right under the neck.

"Ow! Ow, that smarts!" the dragon cried, pulling out the spearhead, which had embedded halfway through his skin. "You try a stunt like that again, you're gonna get it from me," he said, waving the stick at Elysium, who was smirking.

"Go, Dragon! Go!" Captain Winthrop said, rushing towards the old healer.

And with a large gust of wind, the world fell beneath them.

-.-.-

_We, loyal knights of Kippernia_

_Brave and true and strong_

_Fight with our lives for Kippernia_

_Wars and battles long_

Kipp managed to croak out the words of a Kippernian battle hymn, with Colton strumming and drumming on the lute in the background. The day went by quickly, and thanks to fair weather and good roads, they managed to make good time in their march Southward. All along the way, they gathered even more militia, as news of unrest spread through the countryside like wildfire.

"An unbeatable army, they say. Swept right through the soldiers in less than a day!"

"There's some withcraft at work, I hear. Soldiers just falling down where they stood. Black magic, I tell you."

"I've seen them; they wear masks over their faces, and carry flasks of the poison they use to incapacitate our soldiers. How do we fight an enemy like that?"

"Uhm, Sir Galadore, so, do we, like, have a plan for going about this?" Kipp said, riding back up beside Sir Galadore, leaving Colton to strum out folk tunes for the ever-growing ranks, growing ever-restless.

"Yes, Kipp, we knights have our code."

"And what would that be, Sir?"

"'Fight with our lives with Kippernia.' I thought it was clear to you," he said, his expression stern and unmoving.

"V-very well, Sir," he said, letting his steed fall back to the others.

"The Southern border is in sight! We are less than an hour's march away!" Sir Galadore said, looking out into the distance. "Let us make camp here and prepare our assault in the morning!"

"Very well, Sir," Kipp shouted, relaying the news through the ranks.

Colton trotted his horse back towards Sir Galadore and reported the progress of the men's encampment.

"May I comment, Sir?" he said, dismounting his horse.

"Yes, you may," Sir Galadore said, doing likewise.

"I'm not really- a soldier. But- isn't it a bit quiet over there for an invading army?" he said, motioning over the large plain spanning the distance between them and the Southern gate border.

"Yes, you're right, Colton. It is rather quiet-," he said, looking off into the distance.

After a long moment of silence, he turned to Colton again. "Go call Kipp and two others for me. Tell them to get into light scouting armor."

"Sir?"

"We're sending a scouting party."

-.-.-

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh-," was all Lynn could manage, bent over and clinging tightly to Landen on the back of a dragon.

"So how long have you known my father, exactly?" Landen asked the dragon with a shaking voice, trying to normalize the mood. Which was difficult to do, rushing through clouds a thousand feet in the air.

"Hm, well I'm not really sure how long exactly… At my age, you just start forgetting things, y'know," the dragon said, flying calmly amidst Lynn's mutterings, which now included 'oh my gosh it can talk it can talk.' "Well, for starters, his hair wasn't nearly so white when I met him. I was living in another mountain south of here when he found me."

"But we've been taught that the last dragon was born here in Kippernia," Landen said. "And served with the legendary Lady Knight Jane."

"Yep, that's me. But hey, even dragons get bored of the same old places sometimes. You know, we like to travel the world, too, watch the cows, stuff like that," the dragon said. Lynn couldn't help but notice a certain heaviness in his voice as he said this.

"Was this after Jane died?" Lynn suddenly asked.

Dragon gave a deep sigh, and they felt his sides heave with the breath. "Those're the problems with you short-lives. Too many questions, too short lives."

"How'd you know about that? Did you read it somewhere?" Landen asked Lynn quietly, knowing her love for reading.

"Yeah, in my dad's journal," Lynn said, as she recalled the entry in the journal.

"Speaking of which, you don't happen to have it with you tucked under your shirt or something?" Landen said, suddenly looking flustered. "I- I mean, you've been protecting it all this time, right?"

"It isn't with me, right now," Lynn said, shaking her head and patting Landen's shoulder to calm him down. "But I've left it with someone I trust; someone who can make use of the knowledge in it."

-.-.-

Kurt sneezed as he lay captive in a classroom of the Dellour Academy for Healers. After Lynn had been dragged off, Hawthorne's mercenary soldiers had unceremoniously carried him and dropped him in this room, now empty and unused since lessons had been suspended for conflict reasons.

The mercenaries were making their presence ever-felt in the city of Dellour, which had, so far, calmly accepted its plight, in order to avoid open confrontation.

The flight of Elysium Hawthorne had left the soldiers on alert, as their orders were to hold the city until his return, which they were anticipating within the next few days. They were told to expect a weapon of war to descend from the north, and a signal given to round up the militia they could from the citizens; following that, a march onto the capital.

However, they seemed unsettled, as reinforcements from the Southern Imperial Army had not arrived. They began to doubt the battle plan of the healer-turned-leader-turned-warlord.

Kurt overheard much of their conversations through the wooden door which led to the cavernous and echoing corridor - _Boy are these guards chatty_, he constantly thought to himself, ear pressed to the wood, waiting for the latest news.

"They say there's something wrong with the Imperial Army's attack at the Southern Border. They were supposed to have broken through days ago! Elysium could be returning any day now, and we still don't have the Army," they would talk to each other, their hushed voices echoing loudly in the stone hallway.

Kurt processed all he heard, though much of it still confused him.

But all he could do was eat the hard bread and cold vegetable soup they gave him as rations, sleep on a bench, pat the Eldridge Journal that he kept hidden away under one of the tiles, and send messages via carrier pigeon by sneaking out the window and towards the pigeon coop; waiting for his own plan to come to fruition.

-.-.-

"Sir Galadore!" Kipp panted, as he and the two other soldiers of the scouting party came running back up the hill as night was falling.

"Yes, Kipp?" Sir Galadore said, looking up from a map they acquired of the Southern fortress, as he planned strategy with some of the militia leaders. "Have you the information we need for our strategy to attack the building?"

"Sure- I do," he said, huffing and puffing, throwing the light armor off as he walked towards the stump that served as a table.

"Copy this map and describe and plot everything you saw," Galadore said, handing him a stick and indicating a large patch of loose dirt on which to write.

"Okay, but you have to promise," he said, looking up at the leaders. "- you take my word for this, no questions asked."

"We shall see," Galadore said as Kipp began drawing on the ground.

It was a good minute of nothing but the sound of the candle burning low and the stick scratching the ground before anyone talked.

"Er, are you sure of what you're drawing-?" someone asked.

"I just said 'no questions!'" Kipp snapped, whipping the stick to point at his face.

"Well, sorry, but what you're drawing doesn't even look like a defensible army to me."

"I'm telling you, this is what we saw," the irate jester said again, jabbing the ground.

"Are you telling us that every single room in the fortress is a sick room?" another leader asked.

"Yeah, that's what all the sick and dying people ought to denote," Kipp said, rolling his eyes.

"Something unusual is happening here," Sir Galadore said, studying the drawing carefully, rubbing his chin. "Send a message to the castle immediately. And a messenger to Dellour as well. We will need their help, I believe. And everyone stay away from the fortress in the meantime."

"Why? What does this all mean?" the Kippernian militia whispered amongst themselves.

"It appears the enemy has caught some kind of plague," Sir Galadore said, calmly.

"A very unpleasant kind-," Kipp continued, shaking his head, as he described in more detail the things he saw of the Imperial Army in the Kippernian Southern Border fortress.


	26. Things People Fear

(Yay! Inspired mode: on! Paragraph three has some slightly bloody descriptions. And yay for medical and medicinal stuff. Lol, no idea what I'm talking about. It's nearing the end, folks, so read and enjoy!)

-.-.-

26

**Things People Fear**

-.-.-

Galadore was startled at Kipp's initial report, and the furrows on his brow only grew deeper as Kipp continued to describe what they had seen at the enemy-overrun Southern fortress.

The Southern Border was a fortress built, destroyed, and rebuilt during the war with the Southern Empire, two decades' past. After the peace treaty was signed following the disappearance of the Empire's dragon fighter, it remained a low building, merely three stories' high, with a thick two-storey wall that ran around the perimeter. With lack of apparent damage to the structure, it appeared that the enemy army had merely waltzed into the fortress. Evidence, however, of glass fragments and paper shards lay around the wall, Kipp noted. Also, a faint haze of pungent-smelling smoke hung around the area, stinging the scouting parties' noses and making their eyes water.

They managed to scale the wall in a crack in the wall, decades' old. The spectacle within the wall shocked them. Lying all around the dusty ground were soldiers - Imperial and Royal soldiers alike, some barely breathing, their breaths labored and shallow. Kipp nearly hurled as they carefully made their ways in the deepening shadows of the afternoon, and met no resistance from the ill soldiers.

Inside, they found much the same sight, but here, many of the soldiers were in better condition, most wearing masks that covered their noses down to their chins. Those who appeared the healthiest were tending to the others as best they could, propping them up on chairs and other equipment, and giving them water to drink.

Galadore tried to analyze everything they said, then turned away as Kipp moved on to say that they appeared to have been defeated by something other than physical battle. "If only we had Lynn here with us - she might be able to tell us what's going on," Kipp said, before continuing.

After a long moment of silence, a lookout suddenly shouted throughout the camp. "Enemy party on the move! They bear a white flag!"

"A white flag? They mean to surrender in enemy territory?" the men said, in wonderment.

"Considering their situation," Galadore said, calling on two men to accompany him to meet the party. "I am certain this is their better option. Prepare a messenger to the King. I am sure he will need to know of these developments."

-.-.-

"My King and Queen! A messenger has arrived from the Southern front!" the messenger shouted, out of breath as he nigh-stumbled through the doors of the throne room.

"From Sir Galadore? What of the battle? What is the news?" the King said, anxiously.

"The enemy has called for a surrender, and their numbers are sick and dying. They have offered their complete surrender in exchange for medical aid from the Kingdom! Our own militia are attending to them as we speak, but they require more experienced healers to help them," he said, dropping to one knee in front of the royals.

"Astonishing. What has befallen them? No matter, this situation is in our favor, if they would withdraw from this war they've declared," he said, turning to his other attendants. "Quickly, send summons throughout the Kingdom for all healers to aid the Southern front and the ill Imperial army soldiers."

"If I may remind you, sir, the town of Dellour is still under the control of the mercenaries," his chamberlain said in a calm voice. "Although they are at peace, I doubt we will be able to extract their healers without confrontation. Even our contact is still being held captive there, and we are unable to free him."

"And what of that blasted Elysium? That boy's reports have singled him out as the man behind all of this treachery, haven't they?"

"No word, beyond that he has taken our Squire Lynn to the Northern Border."

"We will need to free Dellour before we can provide any additional aid to the South… What of our other squire, Landen?"

"He is still missing, sir. He took off nearly a week ago now, last spotted headed North."

"What in blue blazes are they all doing up there?" the King said, now furious. "Don't they know their duty is to their King and their Kingdom?"

At that, they suddenly heard shouting from outside, and running footsteps all about the courtyard.

"What is all the ruckus about?" the King said, becoming even more agitated. "Don't they know urgent matters are afoot?"

"A dragon! A dragon has been sighted, your majesty!" cried an attendant standing in the open doorway leading to the courtyard.

"What? Whence does it hail?" the royal cried, standing up from his throne and walking with large strides towards the courtyard.

"From the North, sir, it appears to be heading straight for the castle," another man said from the parapets.

"Darn it, where are my knights when I need them?" he cursed to himself. "Never mind. Ready the castle defenses, don't let it near the castle lest it bring destruction-,"

"It's here!" came the collective cry from the walls.

A large gust of wind blasted them all as the dragon's wings beat directly above them, before the great beast itself landed itself in the middle of the courtyard, knocking several barrels - and people - over.

"Sir Galadore!" came two voices from the dragon. "Sir Galadore!" cried Lynn and Landen as they jumped off the dragon's back, staggering as their legs stood uneasily on the ground.

"Lynn! Landen! You're back!" Ambrosia the cook cried, rushing up to meet them.

"What is the meaning of this, squires?" the king said, walking up to them, wary of the large dragon which was now shaking itself and folding its wings. "What is the meaning of this monstrosity in my castle?"

"No, no, no, your highness," Landen said, as they dropped to one knee in front of their king. He waved them to stand up and explain. "He is an ally, he was my father's-,"

"No time to explain," Lynn said, interrupting him. "Elysium is a traitor to the crown, he's working for the Empire, he's-,"

"He's taken over Dellour and has launched an attack on the Southern Border," the king suddenly interjected.

"Well, actually, the Northern Border, he used this poisonous gas to knock out our soldiers, but-," Lynn said, then suddenly stopped herself. "Wait. What?"

"We've received correspondence from a prisoner in Dellour, Elysium's mercenary army has captured the town and academy, and are awaiting additional reinforcements from the Southern Border, which, by the way, has also been overrun by the Imperial Army, according to information from Sir Galadore's militia."

"Oh my God, Landen, we have to go help Sir Galadore!" she said, tugging on his sleeve.

"No, I order you two squires to go and free Dellour," the king said to them in a stern voice.

"But sir, the militia needs our aid! We're the only two squires left."

"The enemy has surrendered, squires. We do not need squires to wage battle," the king said, patting her shoulder. "What we need is healers to resolve the situation."

"Is there something else we need to know, your highness?" Landen said, stepping up.

"The soldiers were found sick and dying, suffering from a strange malady, and none have been able to determine its cause or cure. If what you said about a poison is right, then the same thing must have been used there."

"The strange illness! It might be what my father described in his research, from constant exposure to the poison, like the soldiers must have been, while using the poison as a weapon."

"Then do you know a way to cure them, squire? This may the solution suggested by Galadore to force the Empire into a complete withdrawal, if we manage to treat their soldiers."

"Why didn't Sir Galadore just force them into a military surrender? Why go through the trouble of using our healers, when we could just leave their army to die? Then we wouldn't have to worry about another invasion." Landen said, before Lynn could answer.

"Do the ill no harm! That is one of the codes of a healer. Although now that I think about it, Sir Galadore is no healer. Why would he concede to such terms?"

"It seems you have been rubbing off on our people here, squire," the King said, patting her soldier once more. "Now, more than ever, we will need your healer's touch."

"Yes, sir," she said, bowing down to him.

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" the dragon suddenly rumbled from where it lay peacefully in the sunny courtyard. "Are you done with all your chit-chat? I'm not getting any younger, you know."

"Of course, Dragon," Lynn said, running back to the large beast. "And now, I need you and your wings, more than ever."

"Where to now, little short-life squire?" the dragon said, letting Landen up on his back.

"To the east, the town of Dellour."

"Wow, feels like I haven't been there in a hundred years," Dragon said. "What's there to see now?"

"We're going to find all the help we can get."

-.-.-

Kurt was lying on the bench once again, as his guards talked noisily outside the door. How many days had he been held captive like this? The guards seemed especially agitated today, mumbling about reinforcements that haven't arrived from the South, and a message that hasn't been sent from the North.

"I knew it, they were up to something. I've been sending messages to the castle, but they haven't replied, nor sent soldiers here to liberate us. Is it because Dellour's a border town? What about the pact with Lady Jane a century ago?"

Suddenly, a great rumbling came outside his window as a great wind shook the glass in their panes. "What the hell's going on out there?" he said, rushing to his window, when a dragon's head poked its way in. He jumped back in surprise.

"Oh hello there. What's your name?" it said, sniffing around the room.

"K-k-Kurt," he could only stutter, as he inched his way away from its jaws.

"Thanks, buddy," the dragon said, retreating. "I found Kurt, he's in here. What do you want me to do? Oh, bring him out, alright, got it."

The dragonhead reached back inside, grabbing Kurt by the front of his shirt and pulling him out roughly and depositing him on the ground outside. Kurt had no time to react and sat dumbfounded on the dusty ground.

"Kurt! Thank goodness you're alright. They haven't done anything to you, have they?" Lynn rushed up to him, inspecting him for wounds.

"D-d-d-d-drago-," he stammered, pointing at the large beast scratching its neck with a hind leg.

"Yes, he's Landen's dragon. Listen, Kurt, I need your help," Lynn said, grabbing his shoulders. "Actually, I'm going need all the healers you've got. The King summons all healers to aid the Imperial Army on the Southern Border."

"Wait, say what? The Imperial Army? Who the hell is going to agree to that?" Kurt said, snaking away from her grip.

"Oh, we have our way of convincing people," she said, pointing her thumb at the Dragon, who was snarling at the mercenaries behind Landen, who was 'negotiating' with them at sword-and-threat-of-Dragon-fire-point. "Also, I'm going to need the journal I left with you. You still have it, right?"

"Y-yes, it's in the classroom."

"Good. Now I need you to go get it, and bring all the research and laboratory equipment we can carry on dragon-back. We have a disease to cure, and people to save."


	27. Secrets People Knew

(Yay everything's building up! Another author's recap at the end of chapter 26: 1) At the Southern Border, Sir Galadore, Kipp, and Colton are with the militia (untrained citizens who took up arms to fight), and they found that all the soldiers, Royal and Imperial alike, are all afflicted with some strange disease that affects their breathing and brings almost-certain death. The enemy commander called for negotiations: they will surrender completely if the Kingdom sends healers to cure their soldiers. So Galadore sent a message to the King, summoning all the healers the Kingdom can spare. 2) The King then is collecting the information from the corners of his kingdom, and at the same time 3) Lynn and Landen arrive on the back of the Dragon, bringing news of Elysium's doing at the North, and then learn of the goings-on in the rest of the Kingdom. They are then sent to free the town of Dellour in order to mobilize all the healers there. 4) Upon Lynn, Landen, and Dragon's arrival at Dellour, Kurt is freed, and Lynn asks him to prepare the people and equipment to move to the South in order to cure the strange disease.

(Hurrah for these summaries! Hehe, hope everything's going smoothly for our dear squires :3).

-.-.-

27

**Secrets People Knew**

-.-.-

"A cure, a cure," Lynn muttered to herself, as she flipped through pages of old and dusty books in the library of Dellour. "It has to be here somewhere. It just has to be."

"The first group of healers is leaving for the South, Lynn," Kurt called to her from the doorway of the library. "Are you sure you're not coming?"

"No, go on ahead without me. I can follow on dragon-back," she said, closing one book and opening the next.

"Actually, no, the dragon took off for the North again. Said he was summoned by some dragon whistle or other. the other squire saw him off," Kurt sat down across the table across from her and opened another book from the large pile she'd gathered on medicinal plants and poisons.

"I said you can go on ahead."

"Well, I'm staying here with you. Can't do anything there without our star healer," he said, flipping the pages over. "So what are we looking for, Eldridge?"

"Something about poisons affecting breathing, if what they've described at the palace is accurate, I suspect that the poison they used at the Southern fortress is the inhaled kind," she said quickly. "My only question is whether it acts locally on the chest or on the brain, slowing breathing."

"Curse that Elysium," Landen suddenly said, storming into the room. "That slimy, two-faced traitor to the throne. If I'd known he was a spy for the Empire, I would have killed him with my own two hands long ago-," he said, pacing restlessly. "I hope my father's taken care of him."

"There's no time to worry about that man anymore, Landen, he only had the poison, not the cure, the bastard," Lynn said, not looking up. "What have you found out?"

"These mercenaries are a local group he's taken a contract with. They're here to aid in the assault on the capital, supposedly with the arrival of the signal, and reinforcements, from the South and North. Thankfully, neither made its way here."

"Thanks to your father at the North," Lynn said, nodding imperceptibly. "And the strange disease to the South."

"Hold on, didn't your parents die from this disease when you were younger? Because of their exposure to the flower?" Kurt suddenly pointed out.

"Yes, my mother before my father. What does it matter?"

"And you were exposed to _them_, right?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Why haven't you gotten sick?"

"Well, probably because I was only indirectly exposed, and exposure to a _person_ exposed probably reduces my actual exposure to a bare minimum-," she said, slowing down.

"That's it, Lynn," Kurt said, suddenly standing up across from her as well. "The cure. It may lie with you. You must have become immune to it," he said, pointing at her.

"Me?" Lynn said, dumbfounded. "But how do we-,"

"Think, how else would the disease affect the North and South soldiers differently?"

"Because of the difference in temperature and atmosphere between the North and the South."

"And why would a difference in temperature affect the progression of a disease?"

"If the disease affected the circulation," Lynn said, her expression becoming brighter. "It's in the blood, not just the breath!"

"Exactly," Kurt said, pumping a fist. "And it's in _your_ blood, Lynn. We can solve this."

"Hah, I didn't understand a thing you guys said, but it sounds like we've got an answer," Landen said, chuckling. "Looks like your parents left you the cure, after all."

"It looks like they did," Lynn said, smiling faintly, before they all rushed to join the second group of healers on their way South.

-.-.-

"Lynn! You don't know how glad I am to see you!" Kipp shouted, running up to her, his dirt-streaked face and days-worn tunic speaking of the hardships he had faced.

"I can only imagine," she answered, as she dismounted from her horse, and was immediately swept up in a large hug.

"Hey, watch it, jester," Landen said, as he rode up to the two, dismounting.

"Aw, do you want a hug, too?" Kipp joked, letting Lynn go. "Just kidding. And besides, I'm not a jester anymore. I'm a squire now, just like you two. Just ask Sir Galadore what I've been doing since you two lovebirds disappeared."

Sir Galadore came up to them, at the head of the camp, just outside the Southern fortress. He dared not move his men inside, in case they also catch the disease.

"Squire Lynn, thank goodness you've arrived," he said, giving them a quick salute. "Your healers have arrived and are inside; we've provided them with masks from what materials we could muster. What are your orders for your people?"

She started calling out to the healers. "Kurt, you're the second-best healer I know, you head on inside and see what you can do to palliate the soldiers. Then I'll need six healers to me now, preferably with experience in laboratory work, poisons, and potions. Someone unload all the equipment we've brought with us, and build me a good fire. And I will need a table, if you can spare one," she said. Then as an afterthought, she added "Also bring me soldiers who had exposure, but aren't showing symptoms of the disease. All of them, if you can. Make sure to wear masks before you go in."

"Here, in this journal you'll find my father's notes on preliminary antidote-brewing, and I've included the ingredients we will need for this particular poison. One very important thing you'll need is the blood of those immune to the disease such as myself, and all the exposed soldiers who remain unaffected," she said, handing the notebook over. "Tear out the pages if you need to, just get the job done."

"We haven't got a fire started," Colton said, walking up to her. "But I think there's something else that will do well. One of the castle's old machines."

"Fine, bring it here," Lynn said, clapping her hands. "Let's get started, people. We've got a battle to win."

-.-.-

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Lynn?" Landen said, his hands on her shoulders as she sat on a low stool, leaning against a tree.

"It's alright with me. It has to be done," she said, gritting her teeth.

"We could get some other volunteers, the well soldiers," another healer said, holding her hand cautiously.

"Just hurry up and do it," she nearly shouted.

"If you say so. Ready the cloth strips," he called to another youth, who quickly returned with them. "This is going to sting a bit," he said, the razor in his other hand touching Lynn's flesh.

Lynn cried out as they spilt the blood from her forearm; they would need it to save others.

-.-.-

Vaguely, she heard a voice call to her, waking her up. She felt extremely weak, but she found the strength to open her eyes and sit up in the heavy darkness that suddenly surrounded her.

_Oh, I must have fallen unconscious_, she thought to herself stoically as she looked around. _ I have to wake up, but I'm just so tired-._

The voice came again, louder. "Lynn," it called in a deep voice. "Lynn."

"Who's there?" she called out. "Who's calling?"

A figure materialized out of the darkness. She squinted her eyes to focus on the blurry apparition. "Who are you?" she asked as it came nearer.

"I'm only gone for a few years and you've already forgotten what I look like?" the man in the long brown robe said, holding his arms open.

"F-father?" Lynn was stunned, finally recognizing him. "Oh wait, that's right, I'm dreaming."

"Not dreaming," the man said, walking ever closer. "But finally awake. You have served well, my daughter, I have seen everything you've done for your people."

"But I left you. I left our home, Dellour. I left my post as a healer. I left everything behind," Lynn said, rising to her knees, face in her hands. "I couldn't face anyone."

"But the important thing is you returned," he said, his voice cool, and right in front of her. She felt him take hold of her own hands with his cool fingers, and she saw that her arms were clean, unlike just a moment ago, when they were covered in her own blood. He pulled her to stand up. "Now come, let's go home."

"I am not fit to return yet, father. Not until I finish- the work you started. The cure for the disease that killed you," she said, gently freeing her hands from her father's, staring down at them.

"We do not blame you for our deaths; there is no one to blame for our deaths," he said gently, lifting her chin. "We have long forgiven you, and willed to be reunited again as a family."

"But I cannot forgive myself until I help the fallen soldiers," she said, her mind becoming clearer. She was remembering the recent events more vividly. "I cannot leave people behind, not again, and not ever."

"Very well, Lynn," he said, dropping his hands, tears in his eyes. "Go. Do what has to be done. But don't forget- return home safely."

"I will, father," she said, turning away from him slowly. "I will."


	28. Answers People Brew

-.-.-

28

**Answers People Brew**

-.-.-

"Lynn, Lynn," she heard another voice call to her from a distance, as the darkness continued to engulf her. A pinprick of light shone in the distance. She shielded her eyes from it, as it seemed to come closer and grow brighter. The voice also grew louder, shouting her name again and again.

"W-what?" she said, as the light completely surrounded her, blinding her. She squinted her eyes, trying to see around her. "Father, are you still there?" she said, her eyes gradually adjusting to her surroundings.

"Lynn, I'm not your father," she heard a chuckle, then something wet on her face. "Lynn, are you alright? Are you with us?"

"Oh-, Landen," she said, recognizing the face above her. "I'm- I'm back."

"Oh Lynn," he said, suddenly hugging her close. "You're home."

-.-.-

Sir Galadore supervised the entire fortress and all its activity. The worst of it was over, he thought to himself gratefully, the border was secured, the soldiers completely healed, and everything was peaceful once more.

There were just a few more matters he would have to deal with, he thought, exiting the building to take a breath of fresh air.

A loud beating of dragon wings signaled the return of the dragon, and it landed just a few feet in front of him.

"Aldread-," he said, as its rider disembarked. "No, Captain Winthrop," he said, correcting himself, approaching him to salute.

"No need to be so formal, old friend," the dragon rider said, rushing up to Galadore, in a big hearty bear hug. "After all, we haven't seen each other in years."

"Since you sealed yourself away in that icebox of yours," Galadore chuckled, pulling out of the hug.

"With your help, of course. And by the way, we've secured our fortress once more. Imperial threat completely neutralized," the captain said, laughing. His face suddenly turned serious. "Elysium Hawthorne was slain at the Northern fortress. It's a shame; he deserved worse than death."

"Never mind that, my friend," Galadore said, patting him on the shoulder. "We have bigger matters to take care of; literally and figuratively."

-.-.-

Lynn sat to one side, huddled up and wrapped in a thick blanket, her mind still groggy. She was handed a mug filled with an unfamiliar hot beverage as Kurt came up to sit beside her.

"You did it, Lynn," he said, his voice strange and muffled in her head, as he sat down on the floor beside her in the largest room of the Southern fortress.

The sunlight was streaming in through the windows on the scene inside. Kippernian soldiers were sitting all around, resting up or drinking a strange liquid from glass flasks. Several were laughing heartily with their comrades. To her right, Landen was somewhere to her right; she looked up and saw him still talking angrily to a healer, who was incessantly bowing in apology. "- could have killed her-," she heard snippets of his agitated voice, and she recognized the healer as the one who had bled her for the antidote.

"Kurt," she finally said, her tongue thick and heavy in her mouth. "Is everyone alright?"

"Hah, typical of you to check on others' welfare before your own," Kurt said, laughing heartily. "We were able to make the antidote, thanks to you and some of the other soldiers who offered their blood.

"Oh, and I'll apologize for what my colleague did-, he kinda let you bleed out too much," Kurt continued, scratching the back of his head. "I suspect that's what Landen's telling him off for over there."

Lynn sat in silence, sipping from the hot mug. "What is this stuff?"

"Oh, well, there was leftover poison, and we didn't know what to do with it-," Kurt said with a straight face.

Lynn nearly spat out. "This is what?" she nearly shouted.

"I was kidding!" Kurt said, laughing. "It's just jasmine tea. At least we know you've got your spirits back."

Lynn wiped her mouth, then just looked away. She could see Landen still talking to the healer who nearly killed her.

"He really cares for you, you know?" Kurt said, his tone serious. "Like, a _lot_. He went berserk when you started losing consciousness, threatening to kill the healers if anything happened to you. Still looks pretty pissed off now, too."

Lynn blushed slightly. "Nah, he's just a really nice guy. I'm sure he'd do that for any girl."

"Any girl?" Kurt probed.

"Yeah, any girl he's with. Isn't that the natural thing to do for guys?"

"He's with _you_ now, isn't he?" Kurt said, nonchalantly. "And he hasn't left. I'm pretty sure that says something."

"Well, I-," Lynn started.

"Squires Lynn, Landen," Sir Galadore suddenly called from the entrance to the hall. "Outside now, please. There are people I need you to meet."

Lynn and Landen turned to look at each other. Landen seemed to have calmed down from berating the healer. Lynn stood up, shaking the blanket from around her, wobbling slightly.

Landen rushed to her side, holding her around the waist. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Lynn said, feeling awkward. She looked away, her face turning warm. "I'm fine, let's just go."

"Together," Landen said. "From now on-, together," he mumbled.

Lynn merely nodded as they went to Sir Galadore.

-.-.-

"Well, now," Kipp said, fanning himself as he leaned over a crate that he had just set down. "That's the last of the boxes. Are we ready to return to the castle yet?"

"Almost," Colton said, checking and double-checking the harnesses on the horses pulling the wagon of supplies.

"Oh come on. Most of the townspeople have set off already. We're _castle staff_- shouldn't we be heading back first?"

"We're castle_ defense_ now. Wait for Sir Galadore's orders."

"Wait for Sir Galadore's orders," Kipp mimicked, mumbling to himself. "I'm just about ready to go back to being a plain old jester."

"Mm," Colton mumbled his agreement as he leaned back against the wagon.

"Although riding that dragon sounds pretty cool, too," he said, hauling himself up to sit on the stack of supplies.

"You'd probably be terrified."

"At first-," Kipp retorted. "But I bet it'd be awesome."

"Yes, I know, I know," a large voice suddenly said from behind them. They both jumped, Kipp falling off the wagon and landing on his behind. "Awesome, cool, we could go on all day."

"D-dragon," Kipp stammered as the winged beast loomed over them.

"Yes, very good, shortlife, 10 points for identifying the large fire-breathing, sharp-toothed, great-winged creature standing in front of you. Now if you two don't mind, maybe there's some food in there fit for great old me? I am starving."

"Ah well," Kipp said, standing up slowly. "Well, we still have some of the men's rations, I'm sure we could spare a few tons for you."

"Much obliged," the dragon said, as Kipp and Colton started unloading the crates again. "And some iron, if you happen to have some."

"Well, I don't know if we-," Kipp said, shrugging as they spilled the remaining food onto the ground.

"What's that thing over there?" the dragon suddenly pointed.

"Oh, that," he said, walking over to the war-weapon they had hauled from the castle. "Just an old war-machine from the castle. Not much good except for lighting fires."

"It's made of iron, though isn't it?" he asked Colton, who nodded.

"Wait, I'm not sure if you can eat it, though. I mean, it belongs to the castle and-," Kipp said, as the dragon's head came ever closer, its breath hot on his face. "I'll go ask Sir Galadore if it's alright with him."

"You'd better," he said, glaring at the jester as he scampered off to find the knight. He turned back to his food and calmly began eating.

-.-.-

"And that's that," Sir Galadore said, nodding at the small assembly around him. "We expect your delegates at the Kippernian castle within the next few days, then," he said to the Imperial commander.

"Indeed. We once again thank you for treating our ill soldiers equally. The Imperial Army will not forget the kindness of Kippernian healers," he replied, shaking Sir Galadore's hand soundly.

The two parties bid goodbye to each other, and they watched as the remaining Imperial officers mounted their horses and departed the border.

"I still think they got too much out of the deal than we did," Landen said, putting his hands on his hips. "I mean, we saved their butts and everything."

"There is no price too high for a kingdom's peace, boy," Galadore said, standing beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "The soldiers' gratitude is more than enough reward. It will be good for everyone, you'll see."

"Well, I guess it's time to go back home," Captain Winthrop said, clapping the both of them on the back. "I hope you don't mind, Galadore, but I'll skip the courtesy call to the castle. You know how much I hate all that pleasantry business."

"You haven't changed one bit, have you?" he said, chuckling.

"Do you really have to go back, father?" Landen said, suddenly turning and grabbing his father's cloak. "Can't you stay with us?"

"No, Landen," the captain said, turning to him. He patted his head. "Don't tell me you're going soft on me, missing your daddy," he said, laughing.

Lynn involuntarily sobbed at his words, and a tear had made its way down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.

"Besides, I've got my men to look after," he said, looking far away. "And you've got your own to look after right here," he said, smiling. So take care of what you've got, you got that, Landen?"

Landen nodded and saluted his father. "I'll see you soon."

-.-.-

(Omigosh I can't believe the battle's over! Sorry for the quick wrap-up, everyone. I just got so excited about the ending!)


	29. Wounds People Mend

-.-.-

29

**Wounds People Mend**

-.-.-

Landen drew a large, long breath through his teeth, letting it out in a bit "whoop," as they rode into the castle.

"Oh boy, everything's much faster on dragon-back, I guess," He said, stretching his arms. "Finally, we're here."

"Finally, we're home," Lynn smiled, riding up next to him.

"Just one thing to do before we get settled in, though," he said, his expression becoming serious.

Lynn nodded, as they both turned around and rode back out of the castle, amidst all the other people arriving; in the direction of the dragon mountain.

-.-.-

Dragon was waiting for them at the mouth of the cave. "Goodness me, it feels like I haven't been home in centuries. Oh wait, I haven't! Could use a little dusting here, some polish there," he said, walking around what used to be his cave.

"Jane used to come up here all the time. This is where she first found me, in fact. Ah, such memories," he said, placing a claw gently on the strange markings on the wall. "After so many decades, I still find it hard to believe that she's gone-,"

"What happened, Dragon," Lynn suddenly interrupted. "Legend goes that she disappeared along with you a long time ago. Well, you're back, but what happened to her?"

Dragon was silent for a long moment. "Well," he said, looking off into the distance. "Some people, they just need to leave, you know? And you can't really do anything except learn to let go. And learn to forget, eventually."

"Sorry, I guess it's not something you want to remember," Lynn said, bowing her head. "I think I know the feeling."

Landen looked at Lynn's face thoughtfully, then clapped his hands together. "Well, since we're all up here, let's get this over with, shall we?"

Dragon turned to lead them into the cave. "Right. Right this way then, you two. I've got the perfect place to leave that dragon sword."

The three of them soon were standing at the edge of a deep crevice in the ground, in near-darkness. Lynn peeked over the edge and saw and felt nothing but a cold, endless abyss.

"Landen," she said, motioning for him to bring the sword.

"Just drop it into that, then?" he said, bringing forward the sword.

Dragon and Lynn nodded at him, and watched as he sent the legendary weapon tumbling into the darkness. Dragon sent some large stones rolling over the edge, producing a rumble that shook their chests and lasted a long few seconds.

"There we go," Dragon said, patting his claws together. "Closure."

"Literally," Lynn said, and Landen laughed along with her.

At the mouth of the cave, they bade their goodbyes to each other. "Where will you be going now, Dragon?"

"Travel the world, see the sights, and hey, I might just run into a dragon along the way," he said, stretching his wings. "Nothing to come back here to, anyway. My days of war are far behind me."

Landen nodded at that, recalling how his father had ridden him for destruction in the Southern War. "We'll see you someday, then, Dragon."

"Tell your children about me, maybe they'll get the chance to see me in half a century or so," he said, taking off with a hearty laugh. "So long, shortlives!"

Lynn and Landen stood there waving as he disappeared into the distance, before riding back to the castle.

-.-.-

Lynn sat under the moon that night, staring up at the sky. She was lost deep in thought, just as her gaze was lost among the darkness surrounding the bright heavenly stars.

Absent-mindedly, she started writing in her journal, her hand automatically flying across the page. However, she still easily heard the footsteps walking towards her on the castle wall.

"Funny how things change," she said out loud.

"Yet they always stay the same," Landen said, a hand on the wall as he walked with slow and deliberate steps. "Amazing. You're still writing in that journal despite everything we've been through."

"I'm writing in this journal BECAUSE of everything we've been through," she answered, her hand pausing in its flight. "Just think, for example- Dragon might not be around long enough for our children to see. I might as well let them read about him, right?"

"Dragon's still out there, you know, he's still got a couple of centuries left in him. And we can always call him back if we need him," Landen chuckled.

"Yeah, well, there's other important things, too. Like war accounts, memoirs, new herbal remedies... You have to write them down for the next generation, you know. Might as well pass on to our children everything there is to know-"

"Still as scholarly as ever, I see. You sure are talking a lot about the next generation. You've said 'Our children' twice now," Landen seemed to smirk, but Lynn couldn't tell in the darkness. "Thinking of starting a family, are we, Lynn?"

Lynn flushed a bright red at this statement. "I- I don't mean 'our children' literally, like, OUR children or- anything. Just, you know, the next generation and things like that," she said, waving her hands in front of her and turning away from Landen. Thankfully, in the dim moonlight, he wouldn't notice her face. "I mean, we're of age and all, right? It's something anyone would be thinking of by now."

"Well, what _are_ your plans from now on?" Landen said, leaning back against the battlements.

"I'm not sure yet," Lynn said, looking up at the sky from where she sat. "I'll be a knight by next year, so I guess there's that career. But then I could always go back to Dellour and study as a healer. The Academy's a pretty great place, and I'm sure Kurt will be needing help to run it."

"Wow, so you get to make a choice, then?"

"Yeah, but sometimes I'd rather my path was _set_, you know. It's hard for me to make decisions. I hate 'what ifs,'" she said. "Things I could do- things I could say, that kind of stuff."

"Why don't you just go ahead and do everything you want? It's your life, after all. Others won't always be making decisions for you. Do what you want, and say what you want, that's what I think," Landen said, grinning at her.

Lynn chuckled. "Yeah, that's something you would definitely say," she said, then blushing deeply, continued "Actually, there is something I've been meaning to say for a while now."

"Really?" Landen said, moving to stand in front of her. "Me too. But you've probably already heard it from other people-,"

Lynn's mind flashed back to the conversation she had with Kurt after the ordeal at the Southern fortress. _"He really cares for you, you know?"_ he had told her. Her heart fluttered at the thought.

"Okay," Lynn said, averting her eyes. "You go first."

Landen drew a deep breath, then sighed. "Well, okay, here it is," he said, as Lynn waited breathlessly.

And at his words, Lynn's heart fell.

-.-.- 


	30. Stories People End

(Hwooh, it's coming to an end! But it's not happy for everyone? We'll see! Short chapter is short- and last. So here it is, guys, kindly enjoy! Read and review please .)

-.-.-

30

**Stories People End**

-.-.-

Elsewhere in Kippernium castle, Sir Galadore was reporting to the King in smaller chambers, candles lighting both mens's faces in the night.

"The arrangements have been made, I trust, Galadore?"

"Of course, your highness, everyone has been informed," the knight replied. "News has been delivered even to Captain Winthrop."

"Very good. I suppose the other preparations should be left to the chamberlain and castle staff. A wedding is hardly part of a knight's duty after all."

-.-.-

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Lynn said, her smiling slowly fading.

"I said," Landen said, clearing his throat. "I'm going to be wed to the princess next month."

Lynn blinked a couple of times before the realization set in. She felt her mouth go dry as all manner of speech left her. She numbed herself as she struggled to respond. "Wow, Landen. That's- that's great. Amazing."

"I know, right?" he said, a huge smile breaking across his face. "The castle's preparing for it already. Everyone's pretty excited about it, I guess."

"Yeah, I-," Lynn said, forcing herself to smile, and keeping her voice as level as possible. "I mean, who wouldn't be excited. I'm so happy for you, Landen," she said, lifting a hand awkwardly to pat his shoulder. "It's just unbelievable."

"Thanks, Lynn," Landen said, pulling her into another hug. "This means a lot to me."

Lynn pulled away slowly and smiled back up at him, shaking. "Well, mustn't keep you up. Big wedding to get ready for and all. I'll- I'll see you."

"See you tomorrow, Lynn," Landen said, turning away and returning to his quarters.

Lynn ran off to her own quarters, lest someone that night see her cry.

-.-.-

"What? Why are you leaving now, of all times?" Kipp shouted at Lynn, who was carrying her packed bags towards the stables, where Colton had a horse readied for her.

"You know, to get a head start on things. I've got a lot to catch up on in Dellour, I might as well get started as soon as I can," Lynn said, entering the stables.

"With a wedding on the way? You know that the castle needs you now, Lynn. Sir Galadore and the princess will want all the able bodies we can spare."

"Well I'm sure _your_ Sir Galadore and _your_ princess can spare the hero of the kingdom a few days to return to her hometown, yes?" she said, handing her bags to Colton, who began strapping them onto the saddlebags. "Look. There are a lot of things I need to do - things I should have done, and things I should have said a long time ago. I'm going home to settle them."

"And what about Landen, hm?" Kipp challenged, stepping up to her. "Have you said all you need to say to him yet?"

"It's always Landen this, Landen that with me. Why do you always drag him into everything?"

"Why? Don't you?"

Lynn scoffed at him before turning away. She began giving orders to Colton to open the doors.

"When did he tell you?" Kipp shouted at her as she climbed onto the horse. "-About his betrothal."

"Last night," Lynn said abruptly, turning her mount towards the stable doors.

"And when will you be back?" he shouted as she passed through the doors.

"Who knows?" she said, exiting the stable doors, and then the castle gate. "Who knows-."


End file.
